Unstoppable
by WillowNox
Summary: Emma Swan and Regina Mills have never had the best luck when it comes to love but when they meet they are, quite literally, knocked off their feet. It won't be an easy road, but they can make it through because love is unstoppable. Title based on Unstoppable by Rascal Flatts. AU no curse, no magic. College SwanQueen with a twist. Slow burn.
1. Chapter 1

Hi, WillowNox here. So I basically became obsessed with Once Upon A Time because Netflix doesn't want me to have a life. Anyways so I absolutely adore Swan Queen and decided to try my hand at writing for this fandom. This story is very obviously AU and you see precisely why in the up coming chapters, besides the obvious reason you get with this chapter.

This idea is an experiment I'm trying out to see how audiences react to my little twist, and I haven't come across any other stories yet with this particular change, so feed back would be very much appreciated.

Enough of my rambling, on with the show.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Chapter 1

"Can you believe we're half way through college?"

Emma huffed as she continued to push the heavy cart containing her and Mary Margaret's stuff across the sidewalk outside of their dorm building. It wouldn't be so bad if crap would stop falling off every three steps.

"Not at the moment."

"Oh, Emma let me help you."

The pixie haired brunette hurried over to her best friend and pulled a small cardboard box that was teetering precariously on the edge of the cart.

"Thank you." the blonde sighed and steered the cart up the sort ramp and into the building as Mary Margaret held the door open for her friend.

The pair moved to the elevator and rode the lift up to the fifth floor. The building was co-ed with the five floors alternating genders. Emma was glad to be a junior if only for the fact that the dorms were and upgrade from the tiny lower classmen dorms she and Mary Margaret could barely turn around in without bumping into each other. Nope, this year they would be living large with their own bathroom, high single beds instead of bunk beds (oh how she loathed the bottom bunk), and a kitchenette, on the top floor of the junior, senior building.

The metal doors of the lift slid open with a loud ding and Emma followed Mary Margaret down the wide hallway and past other residents in varying stages of moving in.

"Here we are, 507. Home sweet home." Mary Margaret enthused as she unlocked the door while Emma parked the cart just outside the door.

Both women were impressed with the new room and took a moment to take in all the space they'd been robbed of for two years.

"Pick your bed." The tall blonde grunted as she grabbed both sets of bedding from the cart and brought them inside the room.

"That one."

Emma wasn't surprised at all that her best friend, who considered her sister after five years of friendship, picked the bed closest to the large glass window. The beds created an L shape one two walls, with the foot of one bed connecting with the head of the other in a corner. The bed Mary Margaret chose was spread under the window and Emma knew her friend was going to love the view of the beautiful campus of Storybrooke University. The blonde tossed the clear bag containing her friend's pink flowery bedding onto the claimed mattress and tossed her own, clear bag revealing bright Marvel Avengers bedding to the leftover bed, before moving to help Mary Margaret unload the rest of their belongings from the useless cart outside.

* * *

"Are you excited to be back?" Mary Margaret asked once she and Emma had everything moved into the room and were working on putting away their belongings, to the low hum of Emma's iPod through the dock speakers.

"I guess," Emma shrugged as she moved her unfolded clothes from her suitcase to her dresser drawers without a second glance. She only took time to hang up her impressive collection of brightly colored leather jackets and a few pairs of skinny jeans.

The petite brunette cringed at her friends carelessness when it came to her belongings as she neatly folded and hung up all of her garments, with care.

"Not excited to see Lacy?" Mary Margaret prodded hoping her friend would open up to her about her love life, or lack there of.

Emma halted in her movements, superheros sheets springing back to the foot of her bed, and fixed her roommate with an incredulous glare.

"There was never anything but sex between me and Lacey, you know that." the blonde said in a tone of finality that dared the other woman to continue this conversation, before turning back to making her bed.

The brunette visibly recoiled at her friend's bluntness, but she had meant to help Emma, not make her react that way. She had been best friends, and quite literally sisters, with the blonde for so long she just wanted her to be happy. She had thought the blonde was happy with the foreign brunette, having been with her for a few months. After a string of coming home to a tie on the doorknob and being sexiled to Ruby's room for the night, and returning the next morning to find a different girl on the walk of shame each time, it was refreshing to see Lacy around for awhile. Apparently the blonde has moved on and was back to looking for the right girl. She hoped Emma found her soon, because would hate to see her friend go back to sleeping her way through the universities female population.

"Okay," Emma broke the awkward silence that had settled in the small space. "I'm gonna go check out the activities fair, see if there's any thing good this year."

"I'll come with you." Mary Margaret folded the last of her pajamas and hopped down from her bed and waited at the door for the blonde to exchange her pair of tiny workout shorts for an equally tiny pair of jean shorts, to go with her white tank top. The brunette rolled her eyes and lead the way out of the room.

* * *

Out on the quad there were booths lining both sides of the sidewalks and scattered across the expanse of green, all boasting the qualities of their respective clubs. Emma and Mary Margaret had made their way around the sidewalk and were now weaving their way around the green, browsing the stands as they went.

"See anything good?" Emma asked as they passed a booth for a hide and seek club, but nobody was manning the table. Instead there was a sign proclaiming if anyone could find the members of this club they would be worthy to join the elite hide and seekers. Emma rolled her eyes and kept walking beside her fair skinned friend.

"..."

Mary Margaret's response was interrupted by a loud squeal and a blurr of brunette and red hair, as both women were enveloped in a bone crushing hug.

"I've been looking all over for you guys." the tall red streaked brunette gushed as she released her two friends.

"Hey, Ruby." Emma chuckled as she was finally able to breath again. She looked to her other best friend but found the leggy brunette in skin tight leggings and equally skin tight red tank top had eyes only for her roommate. A blush was rushing wildly up fair cheeks under Ruby's appraising look.

"Hi, Em."

Ruby didn't even spare her blonde friend a glance before she slid her arm around Mary Margaret's petite frame. "Hey, baby." She whispered to the pixie haired brunette. Mary Margaret grinned up at her girlfriend of the last four months as she was swept into a breath stealing kiss.

Emma shuffled from foot to foot looking anywhere but at her friends' very public display of affection. She was happy that the two brunettes stopped tiptoeing around each other and finally admitted they liked each other (or Ruby kissed MM in the middle of an argument over something or other and it turned into a heated make out session that Emma had accidentally walked in on, semantics), but she felt like she was intruding on their private moment.

The blonde backpedaled away from the lip locked couple, hoping she would be able to find Ashley. "I'm just gonna...go. See ya."

Her farewell fell on deaf ears as Emma turned and hightailed it away from the pair, but she didn't get very far before she collided someone or something and found herself flat on her back in the grass. The blonde groaned as she sat up and saw another person on the ground a few feet in front of her.

Emma scrambled to her feet and moved over to help the woman who was gathering up what looked like art supplies and stuffing them into a tan messenger bag.

"I am so sorry." The blonde apologized hastily as she stood a few feet away from the woman, based on the long brown hair held back in a braid and sundress, who was still picking up her paint brushes and colored pencils that spilled from her bag.

There was no response.

"Do you need any help?" The blonde watched as tanned hands moved to grab a sketchbook that was flung open on impact.

Still no response.

"Okay…I'm really sorry. Bye." Emma told the brunette woman, and darted off to find Ashley once more. That was weird. She thought to herself. That girl, whoever she was, must have been thoroughly pissed. She hadn't even looked at Emma when she'd apologized.

* * *

Regina packed the last of her scattered belongings back into her messenger bag and stood up. She flattened out her dress and straightened her jean jacket and spun on her gladiator clad heel, intent on giving whoever had just made a fool of her the death glare of their life. But when she fixed her brown eyes on the spot she'd glimpsed the other person fall, she found the surrounding green empty.

The nerve. She thought as she looked around for the flash of blonde hair that had crossed her vision, right before she was knocked off her feet. What kind of person crashes into you and them runs off without so much as an apology? Not the kind of person Regina Mills wanted to associate with that's for sure.

With that thought in mind the brunette hefted her bag further on her shoulder and continued on the path she'd been on before she was so rudely bombarded by the blonde whirlwind.

* * *

Tell me what you think, reviews mean more chapters.


	2. Chapter 2

Here we go Chapter 2. I just want to thank everyone who reviewed and fave/followed this story. It really means a lot to me.

I am glad see, based on the reviews, some of you caught on to my little twist, and for those who are still unsure, it should become more clear with this chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

On with the show...

* * *

Chapter 2

Emma sighed as she let her heavy backpack slide off her sore shoulder and hit the floor of her dorm room with a loud thunk. Classes had officially started two weeks ago and the blonde felt like she was drowning in homework. She'd already had to re-enforce the straps of her trusty bag with duct tape. College they said.

Mary Margaret looked up from her book on child development (education major) and the sheet of notes she had compiled to watch her roommate.

"How was class?" she asked sweetly, receiving a glare in answer from her blonde friend.

Said blonde flopped up on her bed and let out a frustrated groan as she pulled and Iron Man clad pillow to her face.

"It sucked," came the muffled response and the petite brunette stifled a giggle at her friend's antics and choice in bed sheets. What self respecting twenty year old had Marvel bed sheets, and then defended her choice with a death glare to any who dared question her selection? She would never understand her friend.

Mary Margaret refocused her attention on Emma as the muffled voice continued. "I mean why do I need to take physics, I'm an English major for one simple reason. I hate math. Why am I sitting in the hardest math class I have ever seen, and it isn't even really a math class. This is bullshit! Ughhh!"

Mary Margaret listened to Emma's ranting attentively, albeit with a smirk firmly in place. Every year the semester would start and a few weeks in Emma would start crying and carrying on about having to take a math or a lab science class. The blonde was becoming predictable and the fair skinned brunette was prepared for this particular rant.

"Are you done?" she asked in a bored tone turning back to her notes as Emma popped up in her bed, no doubt glaring the shit out of the pixie hairdo she worked so hard to maintain.

The blonde reached behind her, grabbing the Hulk covered pillow, she would never disrespect the Iron Man in such a manner, and chucked it at the back of her insensitive friend. Couldn't she see she was suffering over here?

Mary Margaret, for her part, expertly avoided the predicted lashing out and simply moved the pillow to cushion the hard desk chair she was sitting in, not even sparing the blonde a glance.

"Fine don't listen to me," Emma pouted childishly. "I don't care, I'm leaving." She huffed and rolled herself out of bed. At this, Mary Margaret turned to faced the green eyed blonde. This wasn't how this little rant went. Emma would pout until Mary Margaret offered to call David, a close friend from their high school days, to help her with whatever math or science she was stuck in that semester. The blonde never left.

"What? Where are you going?" the was an edge of concern in her voice that she didn't try hide, easily slipping into big sister mode.

Emma eyed her friend for a minute, the concern reminding her just how close they were, before responding.

"Work. I got my job back at the Rabbit Hole, August is finally letting me bar-tend for real. And my shift starts in," she glanced at her alarm clock on her desk. "Thirty minutes. I should change."

The blonde quickly grabbed her work clothes out of the mess that had become her drawers and headed to the adjoining bathroom. It was small, but it was private. She slid a black polo over her head and pulled her camo cargo shorts over her thin hips. Technically she was supposed to wear black pants and shoes to work but the manager of the bar was one of her closest friends, aside from MM, Ruby, and Ashley, and he overlooked her attire. She quickly brushed her long blonde tresses into a presentable ponytail before exiting the bathroom and grabbing her car keys from her dresser.

"You want me to bring you anything when I get off?"

Mary Margaret looked over to Emma who was throwing on her red leather jacket that had seen better days. "No thanks, I'll probably grab something to eat with Ruby later."

Emma smirked at the blush that spread across her friend's fair skin at the mention of her girlfriend. They were so cute together, it was cavity inducing most of the time, but they were happy and the blonde loved seeing her friends happy.

"Alright M&M, don't wait up." She green eyed woman made her way to the door as Mary Margaret called after her.

"Oh believe me, I won't." The little brunette winked at the retreating blonde, even as an another blush painted its way across pale features.

Emma shot a scandalized look at her roommate before leaving the smirking girl with the sound of a lock clicking as the door closed behind her.

* * *

The blonde wasn't gone a whole two minutes, when a knock sounded at the door. Mary Margaret grinned and slammed her book shut, there would no more studying this evening. Not when she had the room to herself until at least four in the morning, when Emma usually got back from the bar, and a gorgeous girlfriend waiting for her on the other side of the door. TGIF.

The petite brunette threw open the door with a thousand watt smile lighting up her face and was met with the equally bright smile of her girlfriend.

"I thought she'd never leave." Ruby smirked at her woman.

"Shut up and kiss me."

Needing no further prompting, Ruby lifted her girlfriend by the waist and captured her mouth in a searing kiss. A high heel clad foot kicked the door shut as the couple stumbled further into the room. TGIF.

* * *

Emma walked in to complete and utter chaos. It was Friday, happy hour, and August had a new girl tending the bar. She quickly clocked in, threw on an apron, and took over the bar. The blonde went non-stop until happy hour was over at seven. She breathed a sigh of relief when she had finally served the last customer at the bar. The blonde grabbed a rag and wiped down the sticky surface from where she'd spilled alcohol in her rush to fill the overwhelming amount of orders. The Rabbit Hole was a popular spot for college students, being the closest bar to campus, and the general public and was always packed no matter what day it was.

August, the manager, stepped through the swinging door that separated the kitchen from the rest of the restaurant.

"Nice job, Emma."

Emma glared at the scruffy man. "Yeah, maybe next time you could schedule someone other than Rory for happy hour on a Friday."

"Sorry 'bout that," August smirked and rubbed the back of his neck. "She needed trained."

The blonde scoffed, "Whatever." She continued wiping down the counter top.

"Such a lovely personality you got there." August deadpanned.

"And you're a regular Prince Charming." Emma shot back.

The two glared playfully at one another for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter, drawing the attention of several customers. They quickly sobered up and August moved past his friend back toward the kitchen.

"Missed you, Em." the scruffy man called over his shoulder.

"I know." Emma replied with a shit eating grin and sing-song tone. Truth be told she had missed this place and her boss/friend/former classmate (they took creative writing together as freshman), over the summer. She and Mary Margaret spent most of the the summer in Boston with Ruby and her grandmother before the three took off for Myrtle Beach to meet up with Ashley until move in day.

She stowed the rag she'd been using to wipe off the bar back under the counter and took a moment to look around the establishment. The bar had three sides with the door to the kitchen was situated behind the wooden U, so Emma had a view of the entire space. All of the booths lining the outer walls were occupied and most of the small tables were also in use. The serving staff was working full force. The blonde was thankful she didn't have to wait tables anymore. She turned quickly looked at her station and took a mental note of what she was running low on before disappearing into the kitchen where the storage room was.

* * *

The next hour of her shift, went by relatively calmly. People started finishing their meals and slowly filtered out to do what people do on Friday nights. There was a steady flow of college students, stopping in for a bite to eat and pre-party drinks. The rest was general public patrons enjoying a late dinner and the sports games on the flat screen tvs mounted on the walls.

Emma was lugging a rack of clean glasses from the back to put away when the bell above the entrance jingled, signaling the arrival of new customers. She looked in the direction the bell sounded from to get a look at who had come in.

There was a tall woman with long, curly blonde hair, unsuccessfully being held back by a thick, black headband. She wore a dark purple dress with black stockings and black stilettos, that probably cost more than what Emma made in three months. The whole outfit made her pale skin look ghostly. The woman was standing tall and talking to the hostess with a bored expression and hostile superiority. Clearly a bitch, if Emma ever saw one. She could barely see brown hair and big brown eyes watching the exchange from behind the bitchy woman's shoulder, but was unable to make out anymore of the other person. They were apparently hiding behind their blonde companion.

Ari, the hostess, turned to lead the pair to a table and caught Emma watching them from her crouched position behind the counter. Ari rolled her eyes in the direction of the blonde, affirming Emma's assumption that the woman was a total bitch. Ari had the highest tolerance for the bullshit that came their way out of the entire staff employed at The Rabbit Hole. So if she managed to piss off the mild mannered person Emma knew, she couldn't possibly have a desirable personality. She gave the redhead a sympathetic look.

Ari just shook her head and led the pair behind her away from the podium with a polite, "Right this way."

Emma watched, from her half hidden spot, as Ari moved walked her way and the bitchy blonde moved to follow her. She froze as she caught sight of the person accompanying the frizzy haired blonde. The brunette standing in the entryway was probably the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She is the most beautiful woman you've ever seen, Emma corrected herself. The petite woman was turned slightly from her companion and Ari, and was looking around the bar with big chocolate brown eyes, people watching. Green eyes watched curiously as the blonde bitch huffed and rolled her eyes at the pretty brunette before snapping her fingers angrily in front of the woman's face.

"Pay attention." The blonde growled and then proceeded to wrap a black clawed hand around the shorter woman's forearm and dragged her along to the table Ari was placing their menus on.

Emma felt anger bubble up in her chest at the blonde's rude behavior towards the shorter woman, and death glared the shit out of the bitch as she walked past. Her anger dissipated when the brunette smiled at her and nodded her head politely in her direction as she passed. Emma returned the gesture and couldn't take her eyes off of the brown eyed woman as the pair was seated. She took in every detail of the brunette. Her tanned skin, the natural tone leading Emma to guess at Latin or even Mediterranean roots. Her long brown hair that fell in elegant waves just below her shoulder blades. Her clothes, light and airy, accenting her tanned complexion, a stark contrast to that of her blonde companion. She wore a white, billowy skirt that stopped at her knees, and a blue tank top under a light, loose fitting grey sweater with a pair of gladiators to finish off the laid back look. Those big chocolate eyes held a mischievous spark and great warmth within their depths.

Emma's attention was diverted from the gorgeous woman as a voice invaded her distracted mind.

"Close your mouth." Ari whispered as she approached the bar and caught Emma ogling the customer.

The blonde snapped her mouth shut and glared at the redhead who stood on the other side of the wooden counter top. More embarrassed at being caught staring than angry with her friend.

"Shut up." Emma lashed out childishly.

Ari simply giggled and went back to the podium to greet the next group of people that entered the bar and grill.

Green eyes drifted back to the table and instantly caught angry blue eyes glaring daggers in her direction. Emma quickly averted her gaze and went back to shelving the glasses she'd carried out before the pair had arrived and distracted her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the blonde place a hand on the brunette's thigh under the raised table and leaned over to give the woman sitting adjacent to her a kiss on the cheek.

The possessive message was loud and clear to Emma and she had to fight the surge of jealousy that rose up inside her at the action. What right did she have to be jealous; she didn't even know the brunette's name.

Her attention once again focused on the rack on glasses, Emma missed the satisfied smirk that was plastered on the other woman's face.

* * *

Mel nodded her head satisfied that the bartender got the message, and focused back on the grimy menu in her hands. Why she had agreed to dining in this sad excuse for a restaurant, she would never know. But Regina had insisted and she would have agreed to anything just so her girlfriend would stop making those ghastly noises that were supposed to be words.

She huffed loudly and flipped the page of her menu. "Honestly Regina, I don't understand why you insisted on dragging me to this place." the last word was spat with unveiled disdain for the bar.

When Mel noticed the brunette was still looking intently at her menu, she rolled her eyes and kicked the girl under the table to get her attention. Something she should have already had.

Regina looked up at Mel and tilted her head in confusion. She tried to keep the irritation at being kicked from showing on her face and was only mildly successful. It was one of her biggest pet peeves. There were less invasive ways to get her attention, and the kick was strike two for the evening. A manicured eyebrow raised in a silent question.

"There's nothing here that even sounds remotely appealing, why did we have to come to this dump?"

Regina watched the blonde's lips as she complained, she could tell by the accompanying eye roll, but only understood half of what Mel was trying to say to her. Regina could lip read very well, but not if the other person was barely moving their lips on purpose.

"What?"

"You know I don't know what that means," Mel said irritably. "I need a drink."

The blonde got up from the table, leaving Regina slightly irked at how her girlfriend was behaving. The brunette looked back at her menu. She would try to make the best of the evening with Melanie's mood, if only for her own sanity.

* * *

Mel approached the bar and the blonde bimbo who had had her eyes on Regina was nowhere to be found. Not that she minded. Her girlfriend had a pretty face, but when it out-shined her own, then she had a problem. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the dingy wooden counter top.

"Can I get some service?" Mel's tone was bored and her voice echoed in the vicinity, causing some of the surrounding patrons look in her direction. Let them look, she thought to herself.

A thud sounded from under the counter, followed by a grumbled curse. The blonde bartender, Emma by her name tag, popped up from behind the bar with a hand holding her head. Mel smirked at the younger woman.

"What's a girl have to do to get a drink around here?" she purred seductively.

Emma had to force herself not to let her disgust for the other woman show on her face. Was this bitch really trying to flirt with her? While her girlfriend sat not even ten feet away. Some people.

"What can I get for you?" Emma asked shortly.

Mel, not one bit fazed by the bartender's cold demeanor, slowly racked her eyes over the girl's lithe, lanky form. "I'd like a glass of Corona and give me a Long Island iced tea for her."

She threw an indifferent thumb over her shoulder indicating brunette seated at the table. The woman in question was watching a baseball game on a monitor, paying no attention to her girlfriend and the bartender. Emma briefly wondered what the tan skinned woman would do if she knew her date was shamelessly flirting with the bartender.

Emma set about preparing the drinks with her back turned to the older woman. She could feel those blue eyes watching her every move and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she hurried to finish mixing the iced tea.

"Here you go, these will be charged with the rest of your order." Emma set the drinks down in front of the curly haired woman, hoping she would leaving and go back to her table, quickly.

"Thanks hun." Mel threw a five on the counter with a wink before grabbing the drinks and turning on her expensive heel and strutting back to Regina.

Emma gagged and threw the bill into the communal tip jar and moved to help another customer.

* * *

"Here." Mel grunted slamming the alcohol filled beverage in front of her girlfriend, startling the brown eyed woman from her baseball game. The blonde rolled her eyes and sipped at her beer. She knew her girlfriend was a light weight and would be done after two of the potent teas. She'd be able to take Regina home with little to no fuss later on. The only good thing that would come out of this evening.

"Thank you."

Mel lifted her glass to toast Regina's. "Drink up."

* * *

For the rest of the evening Emma watched the table with the bitchy blonde and the pretty brunette covertly from the bar. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't stop stealing glances at the two women, and after ten minutes she stopped trying to convince herself that that wasn't what she was doing. She noticed the blonde was a loud mouth, her voice grating on Emma's nerves every time she spoke or laughed. She also noticed that the brunette was pretty quiet. She would nod her head or smiling in response to her loud companion, but for the most part remained silent for most of the evening.

She watched the blonde order for the both of them and the sour look cross the brunette's face for an instant at being spoken for, but quickly disappear when the blonde turned back to her. The blonde was ordering an abundance of alcohol for the two of them and while she seemed solid, her girlfriend did not. The brunette was quite obviously drunk, so Emma started giving her virgin drinks, instead of the potent one's the blonde would order. She didn't want to see the brunette taken advantage of, even if it was her girlfriend supplying the drinks.

The couple ate and then after another round of drinks, settled the bill and stood to leave. Emma was relieved to see that the brunette seemed to have sobered up somewhat in the last hour. She was clearly still tipsy, but no longer drunk.

As they passed brown eyes met green across the bar, and Emma smiled and gave the brunette a little wave. Emma's heart soared as the other woman returned the gesture and a wave of her own.

"Have a good night." The blonde called after the pair, but they kept walking as if she hadn't spoken. She didn't care all she cared about was that gorgeous smile that had been sent her way.

The blonde watched the pair exit the establishment before going back to her bar tending duties.

August watched from the back as his friend and kick ass bartender worked the rest of her shift with a huge grin on her face. One that was still there when Emma left the bar, well after three in the morning.

* * *

By a show of hands who officially hates Mel? Because I do, but she is so fun to write (evil laugh).

I know some of the things I had her do and say and think are extremely offensive, but I am doing it on purpose as a contrast for later on. I don't want to offend anyone, she is simply an asshole character.

Also, how do you guys feel about my little snippets of Ruby and Mary Margaret? I love writing them as well as Emma and Mary Margaret's interactions.

Let me know what you guys think, reviews make my day.

Until next time.

(P.S. Does anyone watch Rizzoli and Isles because I need to rant right now and nobody in my house understands the struggle that has become Rizzles)


	3. Chapter 3

Yayyy! Chapter 3. I want to thank anyone who reviewed/followed/favorited. You guys make my day.

I'm just going to say this now in case there was still any confusion. Yes, Regina is deaf and it is explicitly stated in this chapter. I am telling you this because I have ASL used and I wanted to make sure everyone got it.

**Any ASL is italicized, any electronic communication is bold, and I have an interpreted part that it italicized and underlined. I hope that clears up any confusion (if you go back to the last chapter there are two examples of Regina using ASL with Mel).**

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Without further ado, on with the show...

* * *

Chapter 3

Regina blinked against the bright sunlight streaming through windows Mel's bedroom. Her head was throbbing and she felt a little nauseous. She closed her eyes against the harsh lighting and rolled away from the source. Where her body should have collided with that of her girlfriend, she was met with cold, empty sheets.

Brown eyes opened slowly as she examined the large bedroom. Mel was no where to be found and quick glance over to the ensuite, whose door stood open, told her the blonde wasn't in there either.

Confused, Regina grabbed the silk robe thrown over the foot of the bed and slipped it on before rising from the bed. She padded barefoot across the cold hardwood floor and stepped out of the room. She made short work of the hallway leading to the apartment's living room and kitchen. She found the spacious living area and adjoining kitchen empty with no trace of the other woman anywhere.

Great, Regina thought to herself. She's gone.

With an eye roll the brunette went back to Mel's bedroom and started gathering her clothes from the previous night that were scattered over the bedroom floor. She dropped the dirty clothes in the corner next to her messenger bag and dug around in the bag for her phone.

With device in hand she typed out a text to her best friend Kathryn.

**Can you pick me up from Mel's place?**

While she waited for a reply, Regina slung her bag over her shoulder and moved to the bathroom and started the shower. The flashing light of her phone signaling a new message stopped her from stepping into the shower.

**No problem. See you soon.**

**Thank you, Kat.**

Regina replaced her phone on the back of the toilet and stepped under the steaming spray of the shower. She had about two hours before Kathryn would be there to pick her up. The university campus was at least an hour and half drive from Mel's apartment, plus whatever traffic her friend would run into on the busy Boston streets.

She let the hot water ease her tense muscles and wake her up completely. While she washed her hair, she let her mind wander to her current situation. This wasn't the first time she's woken up in Mel's apartment, with no sign of her girlfriend. Over the course of their relationship, it had happened all but three times Regina stayed over. Mel would disappear before she woke up and either stay gone until Regina left or get back from wherever she'd been just as Regina was leaving.

Regina sighed. Why couldn't she and Mel have a normal relationship; they'd been together for over nine months. And still Mel treated her like a fling. Kathryn had told her that countless times since she and Mel started dating. Her best friend made it clear, from the night Mel had picked her up for their first date, that she did not like the blonde at all. Regina defended Mel every time, saying the older woman loved her, she just wasn't very good at showing it. Kathryn would just roll her eyes and drop the subject. And pick her up the next time she was stranded in the apartment.

The water started running cold and the brunette quickly rinsed her long hair and shut off the water. She wrapped a towel around her torso and one around her dripping hair before leaving the glass shower stall.

She pulled a fresh outfit from her bag and quickly dried herself before donning clean undergarments. She slid into her black leggings and black tank top before brushing out her damp hair and throwing it up into a messy bun, making a mental note to do something with it when she got back to campus. She didn't bother with make up and grabbed her phone and bag and left the bathroom after brushing her teeth.

The brunette checked the time on her phone; it was already noon. She'd been in the shower longer than she thought. She still had at least thirty minutes before Kathryn would be there and with still no sign of Melanie, Regina decided to go out for lunch. She really didn't want to sit around the empty apartment for the next hour by herself. There was a Burger King and a Subway a short walk from the building, she had plenty of time for a quick lunch and pick something up for Kathryn. She weighed her options and decided Burger King would easier at the moment. Regina was a very independent woman and didn't like relying on anyone, but trying to order two subs and have them made correctly would be a pain in the ass for her without her friend there to interpret. Besides she really wanted a burger.

Decision made, Regina threw on her sweater from the night before and a pair of flip flops before she grabbed her wallet and keys from her bag and left the apartment. On her way to the elevator she smiled and waved at the woman who lived across the hall from Mel, who was coming back from walking her dog. She was such a nice lady. Once on the elevator, she hit the button for the lobby, but the lift stopped on the fifth floor and a man in a khaki slacks and a striped polo joined her, his sunglasses obnoxiously perched on his head.

The man smirked as he leaned over her, unnecessarily, to see what floor they were descending to. Regina shifted slightly, away from the overpowering cologne he was wearing. The rest of the ride to the lobby was awkward and Regina could feel the dude's eyes on her every few seconds. Creepy ass elevator guy.

When the door of the lift finally opened up the brunette could not get out of there fast enough, when he started to turn to her with a flirtatious smile. She all but jogged out the front doors with a quick nod to the doorman.

* * *

With a sigh she slowed her pace, as to not attract attention to herself and strolled down the busy sidewalk. She turned the corner and walked for a block until she was at the entrance of the restaurant. She held the door for the couple leaving and moved into the establishment. The overwhelming smell of fry oil and onions hit her as she made her way to the end of the line. Normally she would be turned off by the smell, but she was starving. The line was almost out the door, she just have enough time to order her food and get back to Mel's for Kathryn to pick her up. Speaking of Kathryn, Regina pulled her phone from her pocket and sent her friend a quick text.

**Would you like anything from BK?**

A few moments passed before her phone flashed with an incoming message. Kathryn most likely waiting for a red light to respond.

**A grilled chicken sandwich with fries and a large cherry Icee. Please. Will be there in twenty minutes.**

**OK. See you soon.**

Regina opened the notes app on her phone and typed Kathryn's order on the note. She had to stand on her tip toes to see over the people in front of her to get a look at the menu. Once her mind was made up she typed her own order on the note, she waited patiently for her turn.

After a few more minutes, it was finally her turn at the counter. The teenage boy at the register smiled brightly at her and gave her the generic greeting she was sure he was required to give all the customers.

"Hi, welcome to Burger King. How can I help you today?" The kid had easy to read lips and she was able to understand his entire sentence.

Regina smiled in return and showed the kid, Logan by his name tag, her cellphone screen.

**I will have a Whopper with cheese meal with a large onion rings and a large chocolate milkshake. Also, one of those grilled chicken sandwiches with large french fries and a large cherry Icee. Please. To go.**

Logan read the phone and Regina watched him look at her for a moment and open his mouth but closed it before punching in the order on his screen. She'd seen the question he was about to ask her before thinking better of it. She was used to the questioning looks she received whenever she ate out. Some people didn't treat her any differently, like Logan was doing. And some would completely disregard her and look to whoever she was with, whether it be Kathryn or Mel or someone else entirely, to speak for her. She despised those people. They acted as if she was an invalid. She couldn't hear; she wasn't slow. It was because of those people that she stopped speaking when she ordered, opting instead to point at the menu or type up a note.

Regina was born profoundly deaf, meaning she had never heard anything her entire life including her own voice. Despite the extensive amount of speech therapy her mother forced her to endure, until she started high school, when her father put his foot down and allowed her to stop seeing the therapist, her speech was mostly unintelligible to anyone who wasn't used to it. She could say simple things clearly like her name, mom, daddy, and a few short phrases (like: "My name is Regina."), but that was it.

Logan looked up at her from the screen and started talking again.

"Your total is gonna be $22.00, please."

Regina decided she liked this kid. She pulled the right amount of bills from her wallet and handed the money over. Logan thanked her and gave her her change.

"That will be right out for you."

"Thank you." the brunette signed and mouthed to the kid before moving off to the side.

It wasn't long before a drink carrier was placed in front of her with the Icee and the milkshake sitting inside. She pulled the drinks closer to herself and absentmindedly started people watching. There were all kinds of people waiting for their food or already sitting down and enjoying their meals. People watching, it was a habit she'd picked up as a child, something her mother had scolded her for more times than she could count, and it carried over into her adult life. It was how she'd first learned to lipread.

She felt a light tap on her hand and turned to find Logan with a bag extended in her direction.

"Here's your order." He smiled as she accepted the bag.

"Thank you, Logan. I appreciate your consideration." she told him hoping he was able to understand how awesome he'd been.

"It was my pleasure. Have an excellent day."

Regina nodded in thanks and smiled. "You too."

With the drinks and bag of food in hand the brunette left the restaurant, in a way better mood than when she walked in.

* * *

Regina made it back to Mel's apartment and saw Kathryn's Focus parked along the curb. She rushed over to the red vehicle and tapped on the window to get her friend's attention.

Kathryn looked up from her phone in the direction of the sound. She smiled when she saw Regina smiling and waving as best she could with full hands. The blonde woman opened the door and hurried around the front of her car to her best friend. She'd known Regina since high school. Their freshman year Regina transferred to the mainstream, private school she attended, about half way through the year. Since Kathryn was a CODA (Child Of Deaf Adults, well one really her dad was deaf and her mom was hard of hearing) and ASL was her first language, the counselor gave her an identical schedule to Regina and she interpreted for the first few days until they found a permanent one for the brunette. They'd been best friends ever since.

_"Hey, let me help you with that."_ Kathryn took the bag of food from her friend and they headed for the front doors of the building.

_"Thank you."_ Regina signed to the blonde and nodded at the doorman as he held it open for the pair as they entered the air conditioned building. _"And thanks for coming to pick me up."_ she added look down into her milkshake.

Kathryn rubbed the brunette's shoulder soothingly so she would look at her.

_"Any time."_ She looked earnestly into big brown eyes so Regina could see her sincerity.

Regina simply nodded, but made no further comment. She knew Kathryn would do anything for her and she'd do the same in return, including picking the other woman up from being stranded at her significant other's (who she despised with every fiber of her being) apartment, who lived over an hour away, on a Saturday.

For the rest of the ride up to Melanie's floor, the two friends were silent. They got off on the seventh floor and Regina led the way to her girlfriend's apartment and pulled her keys from the pocket of her sweater. She turned the key in the lock and paused a moment before opening the door. She really hoped that Mel hadn't come home in the time that she was gone. She just wanted to grab her things, leave a note, and go. She really didn't need the tension that filled the air whenever Mel and Kathryn were in the same room.

No dice. Regina thought to herself as she opened the door and found her girlfriend in the living room. She was leaning back on the couch with a salad in her lap, her attention focused on a Law and Order rerun.

Mel turned her head toward the door and saw Regina enter with her insufferable friend. She rolled her eyes and focused back on the fictional court proceedings.

Regina turned to pin Kathryn with a look, silently urging her to behave and handed her their drinks to hold while she went to grab her things. As she moved around the couch, Mel grabbed her wrist and tugged until she was bent over, practically in the other woman's lap. Mel smiled sweetly at her, and she furrowed her brow.

"Don't I get a kiss?" Mel asked clearly, making sure Kathryn heard.

Regina smiled at the affection Mel rarely showed her and leaned in to press her lips against the plump lips of her girlfriend. Mel saw Kathryn scowl at her out of the corner of her eye and smirked into Regina's lips and deepened the kiss. She knew her girlfriend's friend didn't like and took any opportunity she could to irritate the other blonde.

Regina pulled back from Mel slightly breathless and blushed as she pecked the curly haired blonde's lips one more time before moving to the bedroom to retrieve her bag. Leaving Mel and Kathryn alone, never a good idea.

"Hello, Kaitlyn." Mel greeted pseudo politely.

"It's Kathryn." The woman corrected shortly.

"Whatever." Mel dismissed.

Kathryn opened her mouth to respond, but in that moment Regina reemerged from the bedroom, messenger bag hanging from her shoulder.

_"Are you ready to go?"_ Kathryn asked, wanting to get the hell out of there before she did or said something she'd regret.

Regina nodded. _"Can you interpret for me?"_

_"Of course."_

"Let's use our words ladies." Mel muttered condescendingly, when she noticed the two signing to each other.

It took all of Kathryn's willpower not to throttle the ignorant woman. Seriously, Regina did not deserve to be treated like this. What kind of woman dates a deaf girl for almost a year and doesn't even bother to learn ASL? The older blonde couldn't even fingerspell. But Regina only saw the good in her girlfriend and her mother approved of the pair, so the brunette was stuck.

"She wants to tell you something," Kathryn said through gritted teeth.

Mel looked expectantly at Regina, who immediately started signing. Mel had no idea what any of it meant and waited for Kathryn to tell her.

_"I'm going back to campus with Kathryn. I'll text you later and maybe we can do something this week."_

Mel just shrugged her shoulders, giving no verbal response.

Regina was more than a little offended by the blonde's actions. She looked to Kathryn and saw the fire in her mild mannered friend's eyes and decided it would be best of they leave.

She waved at Melanie and rushed to grab Kathryn by the elbow and physically pull her from the apartment.

* * *

Regina glanced over at Kathryn from the passenger seat of the Focus. Her friend had been silent since they'd left Mel's place. She's eaten the chicken sandwich and fries she'd bought with such force, Regina had wondered if her teeth hurt. Kathryn never stayed this angry for so long. She would rant about how Regina deserved so much better, and how she was an adult and didn't have to let her mother control her life, and how Mel was a bitch. But that would last for ten minutes at most and then they would talk about something else. Not today though.

Finally the brunette couldn't take it any more and spoke up. Kathryn was one of the few people she felt completely comfortable using her voice with.

"Are you alright?"

Kathryn took a deep breath before answering her best friend. She angled her head so Regina could read her lip, and she could keep her eyes on the highway in front of them.

"No." Another deep breath. "Why do you stay with that woman. She is nothing but rude and inconsiderate toward you Reg."

"She not like that when we're alone." Regina defended firmly, knowing it was only half true.

"There you go again, defending her." she spat the last word and knew Regina understood her disdain for the other woman.

"She's my girlfriend. She love's me."

"No she doesn't. I know that and you're kidding yourself if you think otherwise." Kathryn knew she was being harsh with her friend, but this was something Regina needed to understand and she was done being nice about it.

Regina was taken aback at the harshness in the blonde's words, and let them sink in. Deep down she knew Kathryn was right but couldn't bring herself to listen. She finally had her mother's approval with her relationship with Mel. She wasn't quite ready to give that up.

"Maybe you're right." she relented with a sigh.

Kathryn knew she hadn't gotten all the way through to the brunette, her relationship with her mother was a complicated one that she didn't entirely understand, but at least she was making some progress.

* * *

The rest of the drive to campus was silent as was the walk elevator ride up to their suite style dorm. The blonde opened the door and let the brunette stomp in ahead of her.

Kathryn listened as Regina moved around in her room, using more force than necessary to close her her closet door and stuff her art supplies back into her bag. She knew her friend was frustrated and conflicted about the whole Mel thing. She could see that Regina didn't love that bitch of a woman, but couldn't see past the fact that her mother approved of the pair to realize she wasn't happy. She only wished her friend that chose to be happy, truly happy, over pleasing her mother. Kathryn had become very familiar with Regina's parents and wished Cora would just let up on her daughter for once in her life. That was never going to happen. Regina just needed to find someone that would show her the care and love she deserved and not care what her mother said. Until then this how it would always be for the brunette. Constant frustration.

Regina stormed around her bedroom with her messenger bag filled to bursting with her many art utensils. She watched the brunette through her open door search her desk before snatching her sketchbook from off the pristine surface and shoving it under her arm. She noticed Regina had her camera bag slung over her shoulder with her messenger bag.

Kathryn stepped aside as the brunette flew past her toward the door. She knew Regina needed to vent her frustration and calm down and knew, that for her friend, that solace could only be found through art. Whether it be photography, painting, drawing, or ceramics, Regina would return much more relaxed than when she left after creating something.

She jumped forward to grab hold of Regina's fingers before she could leave the room.

_"What?"_

_"I'm sorry if I upset you by what I said. I just want you to be happy."_

Regina deflated at the look on Kathryn's face. She knew her friend was only looking out for her, but she was still frustrated because she knew every word the blonde said was true. She need some time to think.

_"I know. Thank you."_

_"Do you want to grab dinner later?"_

_"Definitely."_

Kathryn stepped forward and wrapped her best friend in a big hug and felt Regina return the gesture. She waved goodbye as the brunette left. She made a silent vow to herself then and there. Regina deserved the best and someone who would give her the world and expect nothing in return. Someone to sweep her off her feet and finally give her the happiness she needed.

She was going to help Regina find her Princess Charming.

* * *

Guess who that Princess is :)

This chapter was focused more on Regina so you could understand her and her situation a little better. Emma will return in the next chapter and I plan to have the two will officially meet either in the next chapter or the one after that depending on where I am at length wise.

How are we feeling about the Kathryn/Regina friendship? I absolutely love stories that feature them as besties and had to add it to mine.

Yes, Cora is behind the fucked upness that is the Regina/Mel relationship and it will be explained the further we get into this little adventure, but first I just want fluff before the heavy that will come with Cora. (Honestly I love the character (mostly so I can play around with her evilness later) and Barbara Hershey so she had to be in this as well.

Let me know what you think, I love hearing from you guys.

Until next time.

(P.S. I finished and edited this at like one in the morning where I'm at so if there are any big mistakes that my sleepy brain missed please let me know and I will fix them.)


	4. Chapter 4

Woohoo! It is finished.

This little sucker took me forever to get done. I don't know why, but it just did. And I'm not really sure how I feel about it. And this was a pain in the ass just to post, but I won't bore you with my ranting.

Anyways, thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and follows. They make me smile. Seriously, I get the emails on my phone and I get this creepy ass grin when a new one comes in. My best friend has become worried for my sanity (more so than she was before).

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Not gonna give anything away, I'll just let you all enjoy the show.

* * *

Chapter 4

Emma trudged her way across the expanse of grass that made up, with her bookbag slung over her shoulder and an old blanket under her arm. She'd been woken up, not long after noon, by her roommate and Ruby watching Netflix, quite loudly. The pair had been sharing a pair of earbuds, but they might as well have been listening on surround sound based on the volume of their constant laughing. Emma had launched a pair of shoes at them in retaliation and left the room after snatching the blanket and her bookbag.

Now, she was looking for a place to nap.

The quad seemed like a good enough option at the moment. She didn't feel like walking across campus to the library, where she would just be kicked out, and any lounge would be overflowing with students on a Saturday afternoon.

The quad it is, the blonde thought to herself as she spread her blanket out under a shady tree. It was warm with a light breeze teasing the upcoming autumn months. There were groups scattered all over the expanse of green, but they all seemed pretty mellow at the moment.

Emma was confident in the knowledge that she wouldn't be disturbed. But just to be sure she lowered her hater blockers (aviator sunglasses with reflective lenses) and stuck her iPod earbuds in her ears, with the music playing softly as background noise. She leaned her backback, whose contents was replaced with Mary Margaret's pillows (for her pain and suffering), and situated herself half laying down, half sitting up with her arms crossed across her chest.

The blonde shifted to find the most comfortable position. Once she was settled her eyes got heavy and eventually closed. It was officially nap time.

* * *

Regina held a hand over her mouth to keep the laughter that threatened to escape at bay. The blonde woman across the quad was cracking her up, with all her preparations just to take a nap and not look like she was taking a nap. She was failing miserably, in Regina's opinion. She'd spotted the blonde when she'd looked up from her drawing of the surrounding scenery she'd been drawing to clear her mind of the earlier Mel drama, and her conversation with Kathryn. The girl was being quite obvious in her actions, even with the earbuds and ridiculous sunglasses. It was clear the blonde was dead to the world.

Quickly looking back down at the sketchbook resting in her lap Regina started sketching the blonde into the panoramic view of the quad adjacent to where the brunette was sitting under a tree. She'd been leaving the scattered students out on purpose, but the woman, who was now clearly asleep with her mouth hanging open and little line of drool making it's way out of the corner of her mouth, added humanity and a little bit of humor to the drawing. It was something her art professor said was missing from her pieces and the sleeping beauty was intriguing.

Who came to probably the most public place on campus, besides the big cafe, to take a nap? Why not just sleep in the dorm they all paid an arm and a leg to live in? Maybe she was sexiled; that was a thing wasn't it? It had never happened to her personally, but she and Kathryn had taken in the sexiles from their floor on Valentine's Day their junior year. It had been fun and she'd even become study buddies with one of the girls, Taylor. Who would force their roommate to find somewhere else to sleep while they did the deed at three in the afternoon?

With all the questions running through her mind, Regina hadn't noticed that her pencil had wandered from where she'd been sketching the blonde's mane of curly amazingness and was filling in what she'd sketched of the tree before the other woman had stomped her way across the scenery. She erased her mistake and looked back over at the object of her artistic interest.

The woman's neck was now bent at, what Regina assumed, an painful angle and her sunglasses almost hanging off of the tip her nose. This was getting funnier by the minute and Regina set to work, capturing the moment before her subject moved again. The drawing of the sleeping woman was slowly coming together. She sketched her way down from the blonde locks, to the strong jaw and slender neck, to slim shoulders. She didn't allow her gaze to linger over the pale skin exposed above the neckline of the purple tank top, she was attached and that meant no wandering eye, no exceptions, not even the sleeping beauty mere meters from where she sat. The skilled olive hand guided the pencil through the skinny jean clad legs that were crossed at the ankle that lead to bare feet and the flip flops that rested not far away.

Regina look up from her drawing to her subject, making sure she had captured every detail of this woman napping in the public area. She thought it a shame that the pale tone if the woman's skin couldn't be translated in the grey scale drawing and made a mental note to add color later. For now though she started shading the shadows with her pencil.

As she shaded and rubbed the drawing with her fingers for added clarity, Regina couldn't help but envy the woman at how at ease she seemed knocked out in such a public setting. More students had flooded the campus quad, all enjoying the nice weather while it lasted, and even more were strolling on the surrounding sidewalks. The brunette knew she would never be able to do something like that.

Distracted, once again, by her inner musings, Regina hadn't noticed the figure moving across the grass, heading straight for her blonde subject, until she was a few feet from the sleeping woman. Confused, Regina watched the brunette woman slow her pace as she got closer to her other woman and creep slowly toward the blanket. Without warning the woman, who Regina felt a rising irritation toward, pounced forward and plant herself on the blonde's stomach.

What the hell? Regina thought to herself as she watched the scene in front of her unfold.

The blonde jolted forward at the force of another person colliding with her body, knocking her sunglasses completely from her face and ripping the earbuds out of her ears. Sleepy green eyes, that Regina found strangely familiar, but couldn't quite place, were almost comically wide in surprise. Regina watched as she sat up completely, causing the woman on her stomach fall back onto her thighs. Thin pink lips started moving rapidly at the pale brunette who had wrapped her arm around the blonde's shoulders. The feeling of irritation morphed into one of jealousy as she watched the pair smile at each other.

Jealous of what, Regina wasn't certain. It was by no means of the brunette perched in the blonde's lap. No, she had her own girlfriend, she reminded herself. Maybe it was the way the apparent couple interacted and seemed so willing to give in their affections. Something she never had with Mel.

She continued to watch their conversation picking up bits and pieces here and there, but none of it really made sense. Lip reading wasn't an exact science. If she could only see a part of the speaker's mouth and not the entire thing, made the task that much more difficult.

Finally, she saw the blonde frown and move the brunette's arms from around her shoulders. The sudden change in the demeanor of the blonde caught Regina of guard. She watched the brunette try to replace her arms where they had been, but the blonde shook her head and attempted to remove the woman from her lap. A satisfied smirk crossed Regina's features as the brunette stood up from the blonde's, before she quickly wiped it away. She just wanted her subject free of the woman so she could continue her drawing. That was it.

But the smirk returned as the brunette tried to reach out to the blonde, only to be denied by the blonde once more. She followed the brunette stomp away, far less enthusiastic than she had been when she jumped on the blonde.

The smirk wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

As the woman disappeared to where ever she had come from, Regina focused her eyes back onto the subject of her drawing and was met with those green orbs looking her dead in the eye.

* * *

Emma stared into the big brown eyes that had been on her mind since they left The Rabbit Hole with their stunning owner the night before. She couldn't make herself look away, and it seemed the brunette couldn't either.

After a few moments with brown locked on green, Emma saw a blush creep over olive toned cheeks and she looked down into her lap.

Emma found her own senses and picked her sunglasses and iPod up from the blanket from where they'd been discarded when she'd been so rudely awoken. Lacey had some nerve. But she wasn't going to reopen that can of worms right now. She replaced the glasses on her nose, but set the iPod in her lap. No one was sneaking up on her any more that day. She let her eyes wander around the expanse before they settled on the brunette sitting under the tree not fifty feet to her right.

She studied the dark haired woman. The brunette was purposefully keeping her eyes on the thick sketchbook sitting atop her criss cross applesauce legs. Emma could tell the woman was trying her best not to look up, by the way her gaze would stray from her drawing for a millisecond before snapping back, brown eyes never making it past the edge of the paper. That behavior only confirmed what she'd already suspected.

She was being watched.

Emma had felt eyes on her since she laid her blanket out on the ground, but she'd ignored it then. But she couldn't shake the sensation, even as she'd drifted to sleep. She'd escaped the prickly, though not unpleasant, feeling in her sleep, but the second she felt a body crash into her the feeling was back.

Now that she knew that it had been those captivating brown orbs studying her, she was curious as to why. Then she remembered the sketchbook in the brunette's lap. Had the other woman been drawing a picture of her?

Way be a narcissist there, Em, the blonde thought to herself.

Why would that gorgeous woman have any interest in drawing her? Emma knew she was attractive, but she was nothing special. The brunette was just sketching the landscape and she just happened to be smack dab in the middle of it. That made more sense.

But that didn't explain the eyes she felt on her person.

Deciding that her obsessive thoughts on whether or not the brunette could have possibly been drawing a picture of her would eventually drive her insane, she took matters into her own hands. She shifted her eyes quickly and covertly to the the olive skinned woman to make sure she wasn't looking in her direction. In one swift motion she had her bookbag over her shoulder and the blanket balled up under her arm. She shot another quick glance in the brunette's direction. Brown eyes were still glued to the paper in her lap.

Emma sprinted around the tree and disappeared along the path that lead around the outer edge of the quad.

* * *

Regina lifted her gaze from her nearly finished drawing. She had tried to ignore the overwhelming desire to get another look at the blonde, but eventually she could keep her eyes down no longer.

She was gone.

The spot where the pale beauty had been sleeping for the last few hours (had it really been that long?), was empty. Skinny jean clad legs no longer rested on an old yellow blanket, and long pale arms were missing from where they'd been crossed over a purple tank top clad torso, and the mess of blonde waves no longer framed a lovely face.

There was only grass and a tree.

A feeling of loss sprang up in Regina and she didn't know what to do with it. The blonde had been just an interesting and humorous subject to draw, she tried to convince herself. A distraction from the fucked up mess that had become her love life the second she'd been introduced to Melanie. She had her mother to thank for that one.

An escape. That's what the other woman had been and now that she was gone, the only thing Regina felt was lonely.

Great, she thought to herself. She'd been reduced to taking comfort in a perfect stranger, who hadn't exactly been aware of her presence for the most part. How pathetic.

Sighing, she went back to shading the tree the blonde had been leaning against. She could feel herself sinking back into the depressed mood she'd had when she left Kathryn in their dorm.

* * *

Emma walked around the entire quad and was making her way toward the tree the brunette was sitting under.

In the back of her mind she knew this was ridiculous. It really shouldn't matter this much if the other woman had drawn her or not. But for some reason Emma couldn't explain, it mattered. It mattered a lot. Like always, her curiosity got the best of her and here she was sneaking up on a woman she'd only seen once, hoping to get a look at the sketchbook.

She was standing right behind the tree, leaning around it to try and catch a glimpse of the picture she was scribbling away on. But all she could see was the bun of dark brown hair tilted slightly to the side, blocking the drawing from view.

It occurred to Emma that she probably looked like a huge creeper and decided it would be best to try a different approach.

She slid behind the tree completely and dropped her bag and blanket. She turned and walked a few meters, before spinning back around. The blonde the fell into a casual stride towards the brunette, making sure she was in her line of sight when she got close enough.

Confusion took over when brown eyes still hadn't looked up and she was getting dangerously close to the brunette's personal space.

She was only a foot from the tanned woman and she still hadn't noticed her presence. Emma decided to speak up.

"That's really good." She complimented the drawing as though she'd merely been passing by, not creeping around, coming up with master plans to get a look at it. It worked on most people but apparently the brunette wasn't easily baited. Emma was being ignored.

It was the truth though. The drawing was amazing. It was so detailed that Emma could have mistaken it for a black and white photograph. And the way the brunette had captured her sleeping form, made the blonde snort at how ridiculous she looked. Note to self, no more sleeping on the quad. Next time she'd just go crash in Ruby's room or better yet, make them take their little giggle fest to the tall brunette's room.

Suddenly the woman she was basically standing over jumped and snapped her head up and startled brown met equally startled green.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you." Emma hurriedly said, backing up a few paces, while the brunette brought a hand up to her heaving chest. "I was just looking at your drawing."

Regina just stared up into wide green orbs. She had no idea what the blonde just said, still recovering from being scared half to death. She was usually more observant and aware of her surroundings, but the depressing feelings resurfacing and the concentration she had on finishing the drawing, she hadn't even noticed her former subject.

Snapping out of it, Regina regained her composure and focused her attention back on the blonde. She watched the woman point to her sketchbook and continue talking, unaffected by the fact that Regina hadn't responded to her previous statements.

"That's a really good drawing. Is that me?" she asked with those thin, pink easy to read lips.

Regina nodded and shifted the paper so the blonde could get a better look. She took a leap of faith and patted the space next to her on the ground, inviting the lanky woman could sit with her. She mentally shrugged her shoulders at herself for her uncharacteristic behavior. Regina wasn't very fond of strangers, for obvious reasons, but for some reason she felt different with this woman.

Emma, taking the invitation, sat down next to the brunette and took the offered book. She studied the drawing, in awe of the other woman's ability. Emma couldn't draw worth shit, so this was amazing to her. She wanted to see more of this woman's artistic talent and based on how far into the pages this particular drawing was, she suspected the book was full of the brunette's work.

She looked back over to the other woman, "May I?" she fingered the pages asking for permission to flip through the book.

Regina surprised herself by nodding, giving her permission to the blonde. The only person she let see her sketchbook was Kathryn. It was her personal book of drawings and Regina protected it with a fierce determination, unlike the one she used for class. To her that book of drawings, paintings, and random doodles was like her diary. She poured her emotions into each and every piece of artwork in that thing. When someone looked at the works it was like reading her deepest thoughts and feelings. She usually felt exposed and vulnerable.

But not this time.

Something in her gut told her she could trust this woman. She wasn't usually one to listen to her intestines, but she was glad she had. She watched green eyes scan her work with nothing short of awe. It made a blush creep over her cheeks and she was glad the other woman was so captivated by the sketchbook.

Emma couldn't believe how talented this woman was. She flipped back to the picture of her under the tree, well the landscape with her invading the nature shot, and handed the book back to its owner.

"Those are amazing." She told the other woman honestly, watching the flush in her tanned cheeks brighten. The brunette didn't respond, she just smiled shyly and picked at her black leggings, before meeting her gaze again.

A thought struck her and her held her hand to the brunette.

"I'm Emma, by the way."

The brunette let the name sink in for and moment as she took the pale hand offered to her.

"Regina."

* * *

They have officially met, the ball is now rolling. SwanQueen here we come.

So I added Lacey and that little plot line will explained further as the story goes on. The next chapter will pick up right where this one left off.

Let me know what you think, reviews make my day! By the way, did anyone pick up on my Rizzoli and Isles Easter egg?

(P.S. Once again I am posting this at an ungodly hour, so if I have any major boo boos let me know and I'll fix it.)

(P.S.S. Who is excited for the Season 3b premiere, I know I am. But I have to work so I'll be catching it on the DVR after I get off.)


	5. Chapter 5

As promised to the reviewers I was able to respond to, here is the next chapter. Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter, and the favorites/follows, they make my day.

This is really weird, but I'm gonna share anyways. So, I got really stuck about half way through this and it was literally torture to force myself to get this done. Until today. I was sitting and thinking and all of a sudden I was like, I could really go for some Circle of Life right now. I downloaded that song and He Lives In You from the Lion King 2. I put those songs on loop and it was like BAM! instant inspiration. And now here we are with a shiny new chapter, that I adore by the way, for you lovely readers. He Lives In You is my new writing song.

I get SQ feels from that damn song because of that Youtube crack video where the plot of the Lion King 2 is applied to OUAT.

My obsession is getting out of control. But I don't care.

That was my little anecdote for the day :)

This chapter is shorter than the last couple, its mostly dialogue.

**Note: I have two forms of communication that involve Regina writing/typing responses, written communication is bold and electronic communication is bold and italicized. Hope that helps avoid confusion. **

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Without further ado, on with the show...

* * *

Chapter 5

Emma pulled her hand back, instantly missing the pleasant warmth the olive toned hand had brought with it. There was an awkward silence as Regina, such a pretty name, she thought to herself, traced random lines on her drawing of Emma. The blonde in question was at a loss for what to do next.

That would be poor planning on her part, she hadn't actually thought about what to do when she had the brunette's attention. Real smart.

She cleared her throat and plowed forward, hoping to jump start a conversation with her quiet companion.

"Where'd you learn to draw like that?" she asked, genuinely curious as to where the capability came from. But Regina only continued her mindless retracing of random lines.

That was the second time on of her questions had gone without a response. Not one to back down, Emma continued, this time opening with a joke.

"I look like a big idiot, huh?" she chuckled, hoping Regina would laugh as well. Even if it was at her own expense.

Still nothing.

Emma was starting to get a little bit offended. Why invite her to sit and let her look at her sketchbook, if she was only going to ignore her?

"Hey," Emma lightly tapped the hand that was holding the edge of the book. Brown eyes met hers with a questioning gaze. "Did you hear me?"

Regina shook her head. She hadn't expected Emma to continue talking to her. She must think I'm terribly rude, she thought, embarrassed.

Confusion colored Emma's features. She was sitting practically shoulder to shoulder with the brunette. How was it possible for Regina to not have hea-

Oh. Duh.

Realization hit her and Emma felt like a complete asshole. It all made sense. Why Regina hadn't noticed her and been so startled by her presence. Why so many of her questions had gone unanswered, and the ones that had, had been nonverbal responses.

"You're deaf." It wasn't a question.

"_Yes, I am deaf."_

Emma watched Regina's hands and the way she mouthed what ever she was signing. Even though she had no idea what it meant.

"Have you been reading my lips this whole time?"

Regina nodded, her brown eyes guarded while she waited for a response.

"Cool." Emma breathed out and smiled over to the brunette. She had never met someone who was deaf before. This was a whole new experience for the blonde.

Regina found herself returning the blonde's dazzling smile. She had just been waiting for the pitying look or for the blonde to treat her differently, like most people did. But it never happened, instead Emma had taken it all in stride. Something she was grateful for.

"So, where did you learn to draw like that?" Emma repeated her previous question now that she had Regina's attention.

The brunette rose her hands to form a reply, but stopped short. She couldn't assume Emma knew ASL, and she was positive the blonde didn't. She held a up a finger, in a "one second" motion and pulled her bag into her lap and dug around for her phone. In her haste, she'd shoved all her art supplies with no rhyme or reason, losing her phone in the bag's depths in the process.

Emma watched as the brunette dug through her tan messenger bag, a tan messenger bag she'd seen before, weeks ago (she knew it by all the art supplies and the sparkly "R" hanging from one of the zippers) when she'd been leveled after crashing into a tan skinned brunette. This tan skinned brunette.

"It was you!" She exclaimed, grabbing onto Regina's forearm.

Regina, startled by the sudden, though not unpleasant, contact, snapped her brown eyes over to the obviously excited blonde, forgetting the search for phone for the moment. She raised her eyebrows in silent question.

"I'm the one that knocked you off your feet." She said with a sly smirk.

The memory of being flattened by a blonde whirlwind rushed into her mind. Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. Regina had been furious the rest of the day because of that incident, but now that she knew who'd "knocked her off her feet", as Emma put it, she couldn't find it in her to be angry with her new friend, or what she hoped Emma would be. But she couldn't let the blonde know that, though.

Regina reached over and pushed Emma playfully, a pseudo indignant look on her face.

Emma laughed, and rubbed her arm in mock hurt.

"I guess I deserved that." she admitted with another chuckle.

"_Yes, you did." _Regina agreed with a silent laugh of her own.

"What does that mean?" Emma asked tilting her head after watching the way Regina moved her hands in answer.

Giving up on finding her phone, she pulled a small notebook out and pushed her bag aside. Regina flipped to an empty page in her and picked up her pencil.

**I said, yes, you did.**

Emma smiled at Regina's snarky comeback. She thought about her next question, wondering if Regina would get offended by her request. She decided to just ask and see.

"Can you teach me to say something in sign language?"

**What would you like to know?**

Emma thought for a moment and decided to keep it simple.

"My name." the blonde said with a decisive nod to the brunette.

**Do as I do. **

Regina wrote before shifting to face Emma completely. She held up her right hand so it was level with her shoulder.

"_E-M-M-A." _The brunette fingerspelled slowly for the blonde.

Emma copied Regina's hand easily and immediately wanted to learn more.

"Show me your name."

Regina nodded and fingerspelled her own name, _"R-E-G-I-N-A." _

Emma practiced both names to herself a couple times before meeting Regina's eyes. The sadness she saw in the chocolate orbs made her heart clench. There was no place in this moment for sadness, it was meant to be fun between friends, well that was Emma's endgame for this exchange.

But here Regina was, so obviously upset.

Emma looked at her own hands. The memories from the bar hit her all at once.

"She doesn't know sign language; does she?"

Regina didn't have to ask who the Emma was talking about. She'd figured out the sense of familiarity she felt in those green eyes once the blonde had come close enough to fully see the emerald irises. Though her memories of the date she and Mel had shared at the bar were a little blurred at best, the one thing that was clear was kind green eyes and a shy smile from a blonde bartender. This blonde bartender.

She simply shook her head.

That bitch, Emma thought with the sudden urge to sock that horrible woman. She could not understand how someone as wonderful as Regina could end up with that wild haired bitch. But that subject would be saved for another day, if Regina would be willing to share. For now, Emma wanted to keep things light.

"You never answered my question. Where'd you get your mad drawing skills?"

It took a moment for Regina to completely scribble down her answer, before she placed the notebook in Emma's lap.

**I have loved art, especially drawing and painting, for as long as I can remember. When I was younger my mother refused to accept that I couldn't be a child piano prodigy like all her friends' children, but my father was able talk her into art lessons instead. I worked with the instructor three days a week and now Art is my major. **

**What about you? What do you like to do? Do you have any secret gifts I should know about?**

Regina watched Emma read over the paper, glad the blonde had moved on from the topic of Mel.

She saw the blonde bite her bottom lip in concentration, obviously thinking over Regina's questions.

"I guess you could say I like to read. Okay I really like to read." Emma finally started, meeting intrigued brown eyes. Regina nodded for the blonde to continue.

Emma took a breath and tried to look anywhere but those big brown eyes, though still making sure she didn't move from facing straight ahead.

"Before I met my best friend, the public library was like my second home and I read anything I could get my hands on and I never really grew out of it. Like Matilda."

Regina gave a silent chuckle at the blonde's movie reference, causing Emma to burst into a fit of laughter at her own joke.

As their laughter died down, Emma's smile morphed into a smirk, "As for hidden gifts." she paused for dramatic effect. "I have many skills."

The brunette's eyes went wide and she let out real laugh that had Emma doubling over, nobody ever got that. It was official, this woman was amazing, Emma concluded. Regina calmed down enough to reach for the book in Emma's lap.

**You watch too much tv. **

"Why thank you." Emma said placing a flattered hand on her chest with a smile.

**Answer the question you big goof ball.**

"Alright, alright. I can skate backwards."

Emma mentally kicked herself. Really, that's the best she could come up with. Of all the irrelevant things to say. Really?! She had been trying to impress this goddess of a woman, not make herself look like an even bigger idiot. Well, too late for that. Emma was so caught up in her inner rant she hadn't noticed Regina writing until the note was placed back in her lap.

**Impressive. I think it's only fair that see this ability of yours, since you have seen mine.**

"Deal." Emma agreed without missing a beat, she would snatch up any chance she got to see Regina again.

Regina returned the smile, unable to resist.

Neither knew why, but it felt like they had know each other for years, instead of perfect strangers up until a few hours ago, not counting the whole crashing into each other. Emma felt like she could tell the brunette anything, which was huge for her. She'd learned at a young age that trust in others was a dangerous thing that more times than not ended in her getting burned. But with Regina, those feelings didn't even register. Regina, for her part, was just as surprised as Emma at the easy way she was able to just be herself with the other woman. The only real friend she'd ever had was Kathryn. As a child her mother had kept her from other kids like her, wanting her to be able to be successful in the "real world", as she so often put it. It was hard to make friends IN mainstream schools with the huge language barrier. The fact that Emma seemed to take it all in stride was a refreshing change and she couldn't help but be drawn to the blonde.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the moment. Words no longer needed. Regina had taken up her sketchbook again and had flipped back to her earlier drawing and started putting the final touches on it. Emma just watched her work, captivated by the brunette and her artwork.

After about ten minutes, their moment was broken by the shrill sound of Emma's cellphone, signalling a text message. The blonde jumped, caught off guard by the sudden noise, causing Regina to jump in turn at the sudden movement in her peripheral vision.

"Sorry," Emma apologized, realizing how odd her actions must have seemed to the other woman. "My phone went off." She dug the offending device out of her impossibly tight pocket and waved it at Regina.

Regina nodded her understanding and Emma slid her finger across the touch screen to open the text message from her roommate.

_**Where'd you go? Want to get dinner w/ Ruby and me?**_

Whoa, Emma's eyes got large when she looked at the time. She had slept for no more than two hours, so that meant she'd been sitting with Regina for the better part of two hours following her rude awakening. Time really does fly. She weighed her options. She could ask Regina to come along, but selfishly wanted to keep her new friend to herself. And she didn't want expose her to the craziness that was Ruby just yet. But she felt bad for just leaving when they'd been having such a good time together and she wasn't sure she was ready for it to end just yet.

She was saved from making a choice, by a flashing light coming from Regina's bag. It took a moment for the brunette to see it, but once she did she quickly shuffled through her bag again, this time her hand successfully emerging with her cellular device. She watched Regina glance at the sender for half a second before shoving the phone into the pocket of her sweater with a huff. The brunette glanced over at Emma with an apologetic look.

"_I'm really sorry. I have to go."_

Emma might not have understood the lightning fast signs, but she understood Regina's body language. And the way she was rushing to get her things collected and stuffed into the messenger bag told her the brunette was wanted somewhere. Quickly.

Anger flared up in Emma, but she wouldn't let Regina see. She was willing to bet her entire paycheck that Regina had just gotten a text from the frizzy haired bitch. She fixed her face and put on a fake smile for her new friend's sake.

"I have to go, too." Emma stood and offered hand to Regina. The brunette took it and allowed Emma help her to her feet. "I'll see you later."

Regina watched as the blonde began to turn away. That same feeling she'd felt when she looked over to find the woman missing from her spot under the tree rushed back to the surface. She reached out to take the blonde's elbow. When green eyes were focused back on her, she removed her phone from her pocket and placed it in the blonde's hand.

"_Phone number." _

She kept the sign simple, hoping to convey what she wanted through action and sign.

"You want my number?" Emma wanted to be sure she understood what Regina was asking of her. At the nod and tan fingers unlocking the device, Emma knew she'd thought right. She typed her name and number and saved the contact, with a smiley emoji next her name. She handed the phone back to its owner, before unlocking hers and handing it over as well.

"Your turn." She prompted.

After Regina's number was saved into her phone, Emma took it back and smiled.

Regina smirked back and sent the blonde a text.

_**I still need a demonstration of that talent of yours.**_

_**It's only fair. Let me know when you're free.**_

_**I will :)**_

_**See you soon Regina. **_

_**I hope so.**_

It registered to the two women that it was kind of ridiculous for them to be texting back and forth when they were standing face to face, especially since they'd been conversing just fine up to this point. But they were too preoccupied to really care at the moment.

Both women looked up from their phone screens and shared one last smile. Emma gave a small wave before grabbing her stuff that she'd discarded behind the tree, during her earlier theatrics. She looked over her shoulder to see if Regina was still there, but was met only by the sight of the brunette's retreating figure.

She let herself watch the legging clad form for a moment, before her phone sounded once again. Stupid contraptions always ruining the moment. She was slightly disappointed to find it was only Mary Margaret.

_**Are you coming or not, Ruby is being impatient. Or are you still sleeping?**_

Emma smiled at the thought of Ruby not being able to wait any amount of time for a response when food was involved.

_**Nope not sleeping. On my way. Tell Ruby to chill out. **_

Best nap ever, glancing over the spot she and Regina had occupied and the spot she'd chosen for her nap. With a happy smile that wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, she strutted down the path back to her dorm.

* * *

What do you guys think? I love this chapter, I think its my favorite so far. Please review and let me know what you thought.

Emma knows! And so the ball keeps rolling.

So, I don't know where to pick up the next chapter at. I was thinking of maybe having the next one split and be a parallel between Emma, MM, and Ruby's dinner, and bringing Mel back for a bit, and then have some more Regina/Kathryn stuff 'cause I really like writing their interactions and such.

How does that sound?

The Emma skating thing came from my sister being an idiot. She was breaking her new skates in, in the house and fell on her ass more than once. I was like, yep they need to go skating eventually. It will be so freaking adorable, I promise it will rot your teeth. So that will be coming soon as well.

(P.S. If you want to annoy the shit out of your best friend, sing "HE LIVES IN YOU! HE LIVES IN ME!" Wait a few seconds and then sing, "INTO THE WATER!" Believe me its foolproof. I had my life threatened multiple times this afternoon.)

(P.S.S. Its Rizzles night!)


	6. Chapter 6

Here we are, another update! I meant to have this up hours ago, but I couldn't focus on one task long enough to get anything done today. Sorry.

I want to take a moment thank everyone who reviewed, especially my guest reviewers since I'm not able to thank you all personally, favorited, and followed. It really does mean a lot to me and I love your guys' feedback. Y'all are the best :)

**Note: The communication styles are the same as they have been since chapter three. If you need a refresher, refer to the author's note from that chapter. In parts of this I jump from one form to another, so I want to avoid any confusion. **

I went with the parallel, and I am super proud of it so I really hope you all enjoy. I want to thank anyone who left a suggestion, and a couple of guests left some awesome ideas that I plan to incorporate into the next few chapters.

I also want you all to be aware that I hate confrontation. I don't like arguing with anyone and I don't really know how. Just keep that in mind as you read this because I wrote an argument and I don't think it makes sense.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Man I am getting long winded. On with the show...

* * *

Chapter 6

"Thank God. You're here, now let's go."

Emma laughed at Ruby's dramatics. She'd barely had her key in the lock in the before the door was thrown and she was bombarded by the energetic woman.

"It's nice to see you too, Rubes." Emma said sarcastically as she dumped her belongings in her desk chair.

"Yeah, whatever. Can we please go now?" she whined looking over at Mary Margaret with puppy dog eyes.

"Give Emma a chance to breathe and then we'll go." The petite woman walked over to her girlfriend and rubbed her back in a soothing motion.

"Okay." Ruby instantly conceded with a nod.

Emma just shook her head at the couple, always so sickeningly sweet.

"I'm just gonna change, then we can leave." The blonde told them, stepping into the bathroom.

"We're going to starve!" Ruby exclaimed, earning herself an eyeroll from Emma and a chuckle from her girlfriend.

Not even five minutes Emma emerged from the bathroom in a fresh pair of skinny jeans and white t-shirt. She shrugged on her red leather jacket and faced her friends.

"Let's go."

"Yay! I'm driving!" Ruby fist pumped and then bolted from the room with Mary Margaret's car keys.

Emma and Mary Margaret shared a horrified look before running out of the room after the other woman, who was already bouncing up and down in front of the elevator.

"Like hell you are." Emma snatched the keys from her friend and handed them over to the pixie haired brunette, who was just catching up. "I don't feel like dying tonight."

No, she wanted to be alive to see Regina again. Whenever that may be.

"You guys are no fun."

Emma rolled her eyes at the overgrown child that her roommate was in love with, not that she had room to tak by any means.

"And you don't know how to drive. Stoplights are not a suggestion."

Mary Margaret stepped onto the lift, situating herself between her two best friends. "Girls, we could always stay here and have Ramen noodles."

"I'm good."

"Me too."

"Good. Now behave." the petite woman warned in a stern, no nonsense tone she had specifically reserved for the two knuckle heads.

Emma and Ruby stood on either side of their pixie of a friend with their arms crossed, properly scold. Neither were willing to face the wrath that was a pissed Mary Margaret.

It was scary.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Mel demanded. She had gotten out of her car the second she'd seen Regina round the corner of the dorm building. Now they were standing toe to toe, scowling at each other.

Regina was more than a little pissed about receiving the message demanding her presence and she wasn't in the mood for Melanie and her shit at the moment. She wanted to go to her room, get Kathryn, and go get dinner like they planned so she could tell her all about the friend she'd made in Emma.

But no, now she had to deal with Mel.

"_I was on my way! If you had an ounce of patience!" _Regina snapped, her hands moving around furiously. She really didn't want the happy bubble she'd been for the last couple of hours to burst because of the woman in front of her and her nasty attitude.

"Don't snap at me. You spoiled brat."

Regina saw red. Melanie had some nerve, their parents were friends and they had grown up in the same circle. Where did she get off calling her names? And for what, where was this coming from?

"_What is your problem? Why are you yelling at me?" _

"Knock that shit off."

Mel growled and grabbed Regina's hands to stop the stupid hand signals. She was really getting sick of the whole not being able to talk thing. But since the girl came from money and powerful parents, she was willing to overlook that detail. Where was that irritating friend of hers, that actually understood what Regina was trying say, when she was needed?

The brunette threw off the claw like hands and started up the stairs to the doors, done with the woman for the night. Mel was being a complete ass for no reason, and not to mention insensitive and offensive.

She felt a hand grab her arm and yank her roughly back down the steps. She glared into the red face of her girlfriend, snatching her arm away.

"Don't walk away from me." Mel yelled, getting dangerously close to the brunette's face. "I wasn't finished with you."

"I was."

"What?" The blonde scoffed.

"You heard me." Regina crossed her arms. She didn't care if Mel could understand what she was saying, she was not going to be disrespected again.

Mel took a breath and backed off a few steps. This was not going how she wanted. She had wanted to make the brunette feel bad for keeping her waiting, but instead Regina decided to have an attitude. All she wanted was an easy lay, not this bullshit.

"Look, I'm sorry. Can we please have a conversation?" Mel put on her best apologetic look and watched the brunette soften up. She smirked internally; It was too easy sometimes.

Regina regarded Mel for a moment before deflating. She hadn't meant to blow up, but that didn't excuse the blonde's behavior. Mel had some work to do before she would be forgiven. But she knew she had to at least try.

She motioned for Melanie to follow her into the building.

* * *

"Would you two knock it off? I came for food, not a show."

"Sorry." Mary Margaret told the blonde, scooting away from her girlfriend, not sounding the least bit sorry.

"Yeah, okay." Emma rolled her eyes and continued to scan the menu. "If you guys wanted to sit their and suck face, why did you invite me?"

"To be polite." Ruby mumbled, though not at all quietly. She received a swift elbow to the ribs from her girlfriend. It was the truth.

"Because we felt bad for disturbing your sleep. We knew you'd worked all night."

"Thanks."

"Where did you end up sleeping?"

Emma looked at the woman sitting across from her. It never failed to amaze the blonde how much that woman truly cared for her. Loved her.

"Under a tree in the quad." she answered sheepishly, knowing Mary Margaret would freak out and feel even more guilty for running Emma out of the room.

And freak out she did.

"Emma! Why didn't you say something or come back? We would have left you to sleep."

"M&M, calm down, okay." The blonde waited until the red tint in her roommate's cheeks was gone before continuing. "It wasn't that bad. Actually it was pretty comfortable. Until I was woken up ever so rudely."

Her voice took on a hard edge that didn't go unnoticed by Ruby or Mary Margaret. They shared a look before Ruby spoke up.

"What happened?"

"Lacey." Green eyes grew cold as she spat the name in pure disdain. "She decided that scaring the shit out of me was an alright way to wake me."

"What did she want?" Ruby ground out, the malice in her words was enough to shock Emma and Mary Margaret. Protective Ruby was a force to be reckoned with.

"Nothing," Emma shrugged. "She said she saw me and wanted to say hi."

"And?" Mary Margaret asked confused.

"And? You don't hop into your ex's lap expecting them to be happy to see your cheating ass."

"I thought you said she was just sex." The pixie haired woman pointed out. This was the first she was hearing any of this. She was a little envious that Ruby seemed to know the whole story, but shook it off knowing Emma would confide in her when she was ready. Their years of friendship only proved that.

"I'm done talking about this."

Both brunettes heard the finality in the statement and dropped the subject of Lacey for the night.

The three friends went back to their menus in silence until their server came to ask for their orders.

* * *

Kathryn tore her eyes away from the textbook she was studying when she heard the door open. An immediate smiled spread across her face to greet Regina, but fell the moment Mel followed her best friend into the dorm.

"_Hi, Kat."_

Regina smiled to her friend, but Kathryn could tell it was forced. What did the bitch do now?

"_What is she doing here?"_

The blonde didn't even try disguise her disdain for the woman Regina was dating.

"_Could you please be nice? She just wants to talk. It won't take long. Then, we can go get something to eat. I have so much to tell you."_

Mel's irritation from earlier was beginning to resurface as Regina and her little friend continued their silent conversation. She could honestly care less if the other blonde liked her or not. But if whatever she was saying to Regina kept her from taking her girlfriend to bed before the night was over, she was going to pay.

"Hello, some of us like to use our words." she called to the blonde over Regina's shoulder.

Kathryn waited until Regina had her back turned, putting her stuff away, before addressing Mel.

"If you actually took the time to learn sign language, maybe you wouldn't be left out of the loop all the time."

"Maybe she should learn how to talk. Then there wouldn't be a problem. Ever think of that?" Mel shot back.

The younger blonde just shook her head and looked back to the book resting against her knees. "You are such a fucking bitch." she spat, beyond disgusted. She really did hate this terrible woman and what she did to Regina.

"And yet, nine months later, I'm still here." Mel gave the woman a shit eating smirk.

Kathryn tried her best just to ignore the woman, but found she couldn't. Her protective instincts were too great when it came to Regina.

"One day your ass is gonna be toast. I just hope I get to be there to see the woman she deserves kick your sorry ass."

"That isn't going to happen. We wouldn't want disappoint her Mommy, would we?"

A retort was on the tip of her tongue, but Regina chose that moment to turn back to the two blondes. They both schooled their features hiding the fact that they'd just been at each other's throats from the brunette. Kathryn doing it for Regina's sake, Mel for her own.

"_We can talk in my room." _

Kathryn interpreted out of habit, though her tone was dripping with venom.

Mel nodded at her girlfriend and followed her into her bedroom. Not before shooting an antagonizing remark over her shoulder.

"Nice talking to you Kaitlyn, you should probably get some earplugs."

The door to Regina's door shut before the remote to the TV could connect with its intended target.

* * *

Regina sat on the edge of her bed and faced Mel who was leaning back in her desk chair. She had her phone in one hand with the note app open and ready.

_**What's the matter? You're being really snappy tonight.**_

Mel took the phone and pretended to brood as she typed her response.

_**You said you would text. You never did.**_

The brunette looked up and saw her girlfriend pouting and felt guilty. She had had every intention of following through on the promise she'd made, but then she'd been distracted. By the most amazing person she'd ever met. Now though she felt even more guilty. Emma wasn't her girlfriend, Melanie was. She knew what it felt like to be ignored.

Mel watched Regina's face soften completely, all the fight she'd had out in front of the building gone.

Or so she thought.

Regina was for from over the way the blonde had behaved outside. She was used to Mel's insensitiveness, but she'd gone too far this time. She would not be forgiven that easily.

But the brunette decided she could play nice for the time being.

_**I'm sorry. **_

Regina held her hand out for Mel and the blonde took it and sat down beside her on the bed, a hand running up and down a toned thigh. Regina shivered unpleasantly at the contact.

_**Me too, for outside. **_

Brown eyes met ice blue and she nodded her acceptance of Mel's apology. Even though she didn't believe it.

_**Come home with me. **_

_**I promised Kathryn to do something together tonight. You can come too if you want. **_

_**I'd rather not. **_

Regina let out an exasperated sigh. She knew that was coming.

_**I wish you two could get along.**_

_**That's never going to happen.**_

_**Why not?**_

Mel held back a sneer. She was done with all the chit chat.

_**She doesn't like me. **_

Playing the victim always worked with Regina. She hoped she could distract her girlfriend and tossed the phone behind them and started to push the brunette back onto the bed, kissing a trail down her neck.

But Regina was having none of it. She was by no means going to jump into bed after Mel had insulted and offended her to the point where she was ready to end this once and for all, her mother be damned. But she knew that that would never fly with her mom. She would forgive Mel eventually, she always did. But the older woman's words and actions still stung and she needed time before she could fully forgive her girlfriend. She sat up and reclaimed her phone, ignoring the eyeroll Mel thought she hadn't seen.

_**She doesn't know you. Maybe if you actually tried to get along things wouldn't be so tense. **_

_**Enough about your friend. I missed you. **_

Mel went in for a kiss, she'd even stooped to desperate measures to get Regina to drop it. But once again Regina was having none of it.

_**We were together less than twelve hours ago, so don't even try that. If all you came here for was sex, you should just leave. You ruined any chance of that outside.**_

_**Are you serious?**_

Mel couldn't believe it. Since when did Regina have a backbone? She never fought on sex. Sometimes it would take a little more persuasion on her part, but she always got what she wanted. She did not like this.

_**Dead. Do you want to talk or leave? Because I have plans.**_

The blonde didn't even reply she stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her. She stomped past the insufferable blonde who had the nerve to wear a satisfied smirk on her face.

"You fucking twat block."

"I try."

Kathryn laughed at the death glare that was sent her way before the door to the dorm was slammed shut as well.

* * *

"So you're telling me you slept on the quad for almost five hours?" Ruby asked as she cut into her steak.

"No. After my nap was rudely interrupted by She Who Must Not Be Named, I wasn't able to fall back asleep."

"Why? What the hell were you doing, then?"

"I couldn't fall back asleep. I got this feeling like I was being watched."

"That's creepy." Mary Margaret interjected, a French fry stopped an inch from her mouth, staring over at Emma.

A smile spread across Emma's face at the thought of Regina drawing her while she had been sleeping. Yes, any sane person would agree that that was beyond creepy. But Emma, never having been one to claim sanity, found it entirely endearing. Especially after she had seen the way Regina's skilled hands had captured the image.

"You don't think it was creepy?" Ruby asked incredulously, at Emma's expression.

"Not at all." The blonde proclaimed matter of factly. "I was being drawn."

The way she'd said that captured both brunette's attention. A wolfish grin appeared on Ruby's face.

"She was hot, wasn't she?"

"Gorgeous." Emma replied wistfully, recalling big brown pools of dark chocolate, flawless olive skin, even the scar adorning an upper lip.

"Did you get her number?"

The blonde nodded her head at Ruby's question and unconsciously let her hand wander to her pocket where her phone rested.

"You go girl."

Emma screwed her face up at Ruby's congratulations. Ruby had that dirty grin on her face that she always got when her thoughts were less than pure. The same look one she got back before she'd started dating Mary Margaret and the two would swap stories of their various conquests. She wasn't particularly proud those days, and she knew Ruby wasn't either.

"It's not like that." Green eyes begged for the red streaked brunette to understand. She didn't want anyone to think of Regina that way. "She showed me the drawing, which was amazing by the way, and we just talked." Well she talked and Regina wrote.

Mary Margaret saw the way her friend's eyes lit up as she talked about how she'd spent her afternoon. It was a light she hadn't seen in a while and wanted to personally thank whoever this woman was for returning it to Emma.

"You really like her don't you?" the petite woman asked watching as a blush rose to her friend's pale cheeks. That was all the answer she needed.

"Ooh, Emma's got a crush." Ruby teased.

Emma's cheeks burned even brighter under the gazes of her best friends. But she shook her head.

"I like her okay. But we're just friends and that's all we'll ever be." She sounded bitter even to her own ears. She understood she'd only known the brunette, officially, for a couple hours despite their other encounters. But Regina just made her feel things, pleasant things.

"Why? Is she straight?" Ruby asked pushing her plate away from herself. She was no stranger to that problem. She'd thought Mary Margaret was straight for years. She had been wrong. So wrong.

Emma chuckled, "That's not the problem. She has a girlfriend." she admitted with a growl at the thought of the blonde woman in question.

Mary Margaret reached a hand over to place it on the blonde's forearm in a comforting gesture.

"Why put yourself through that?" she asked in a soothing tone.

Emma looked into her friend's eyes for a moment. She knew how painful it had been for her to watch Ruby with other women for years. Emma had been there all those nights when the pixie haired woman cried herself to sleep after seeing Ruby with one of her dates. That had been a hard year for both of them.

But look where the two were now. Deliriously in love with the other. Happy.

Emma wanted what they had.

"I don't know. I feel like I can be myself with her. I had a lot of fun with her, you know. There was no awkwardness like when when you first meet someone. It was all natural. I just feel…" Emma paused to take a breath and collect her thoughts, she was never good with feelings. She'd guarded them too fiercely, for too long for them to come easily. "I just feel drawn to her. She's so amazing, you guys have no idea."

Emma could settle with being friends with Regina for the time being. She hoped that with time they could build a close friendship and maybe someday down the line, it could possibly morph into something more. There were things Regina made her feel again. It was terrifying and exhilarating.

For now though, she just wanted to get to know Regina.

Mary Margaret and Ruby watched Emma through soft, understanding eyes.

"I don't doubt it. But just remember, hurting yourself in the process, is not worth it."

Emma nodded hearing the protective edge behind her friend's words. She knew Mary Margaret didn't want to see her hurting, but some things were worth the risk. A perfect example was looking her dead in the face.

"I know." Her answer seemed to soothe the other woman. The fair skinned woman leaned back into the booth and rested her head against her girlfriend's shoulder.

"So who is this amazing girl?" Ruby asked genuinely curious as to who could make Emma smile like that.

"Regina." The huge grin that had been plastered on her face since they had started talking about the brunette grew impossibly bigger.

"Her name is Regina."

* * *

Regina opened the door to her bedroom after waiting what she deemed enough time for Mel to leave and not turn back for another round of arguing. She looked down to find the pieces of she and Kathryn's television remote scattered at her feet.

"_What the hell?" _She asked Kathryn, who'd turned around so she could see Regina when she'd her the door happened.

"_I saw a spider." _

It wasn't exactly a lie. She had been trying to hit a useless insect.

"_You big wimp." _

"_I resent that." _Kathryn huffed and crossed her arms in a pout for emphasis.

The brunette just laughed at her friend's antic and bent down to pick up the pieces of the remote. Kathryn slid her book closed and stood from their tiny couch.

"_Where do you want to eat?" _ the blonde asked as Regina tossed the remote onto the couch seat she'd just vacated.

"_I know I promised we would go out, but do you mind if we just stayed here instead?"_

Kathryn saw the way Regina's shoulders were slumped and the way her hands moved lazily. The brunette was exhausted, there was no doubt about it. Stupid Mel and her eternal bitchiness. The woman sucked life right out of Regina, the light always present in her big brown eyes nearly extinguished. She knew in moments like this, what Regina needed was someone to lean on and the blonde was more than willing to be that person.

"_That actually sounds awesome. We can order a pizza and binge watch something on Netflix."_

"_Thank you."_

Regina knew Kathryn was doing this for her. There were far more desirable things to be done on a Saturday night in a college town. But her friend was going to stay in with her while she sulked, for what felt like the thousandth time, after a Mel incident. She didn't know what she did to deserve such an amazing friend, but was beyond grateful to have the blonde in her life.

"_Go and get your pajamas on, I'll order the pizza and get everything ready out here."_

The brunette nodded and retreated back to her room, while Kathryn pulled out her phone to order the half veggie, half pepperoni pizza. The blonde then moved to link up Netflix to the television. She gathered a few drinks and a bag of chips and laid them out on the coffee table in the middle of the room.

She looked down at herself, deeming the yoga pants and hoodie she'd donned after returning to the campus with Regina appropriate for their impromptu girl's night in.

The brown eyed woman reemerged from her room once again, dressed similarly to her best friend. Kathryn motioned for Regina to join her on the couch. Regina sank into the cushions and rested her head on the blonde's shoulder.

"_Do you want to talk about it?"_

Regina shook her head.

"_Okay."_

Kathryn hadn't expected her to, but wanted Regina to know she was there if she did. They just sat there for a moment, before the blonde remembered something.

"_What did you want to tell me?" _She'd seen the spark in Regina's eyes before she'd went into her room to talk with Mel. She was interested to know what had caused it.

Regina lifted her head from Kathryn's shoulder and shifted to face the other woman. A bright smile lit up her previously somber features.

"_I made a friend." _She signed excitedly.

"_What does that make me? Chopped liver?" _The blonde feigned offense.

The brunette smiled at her friend and lightly pinched her arm.

"_Could you be any more self centered."_

"_Yes."_

The women burst into a fit of laughter, the mood lightening considerably.

"_Tell me about this new friend." _ Kathryn asked once they had settled back down. She watched a smile start to form on Regina's face and the spark she'd seen earlier return to her brown eyes.

"_I was sketching out on the quad, and this woman plopped herself down in the middle of what I was drawing and fell asleep." _She giggled at the memory of Emma trying to covertly take a nap and fail miserably. _"So I added her to the scenery for a bit of humor."_

Kathryn just watched her friend with a knowing smile. Regina hadn't been this excited about pretty much anything since before she met Mel. It was good to see Regina get excited again and just happy in general. If this woman was the reason for it, Kathryn very much wanted to meet her.

She let Regina continue uninterrupted, the grin never leaving the brunette's face.

"_She slept for maybe two hours, so I was able to get a pretty good sketch of her." _Regina went on, making a mental note to add some color later. She briefly wondered of Emma would let her draw her again. _"Then, she woke up and then I looked down and when I looked back up she was gone."_

She purposely omitted the part with the brunette being the one to wake the blonde, and the jealousy that had come with it. She also left out the sense of loneliness that had come with Emma's sudden departure. There were some things that Kathryn didn't need to know.

"_Out of nowhere she was standing right beside me, complimenting my drawing." _ Her smile grew impossibly brighter. _"She sat with me and I let her see my sketchbook. We talked until I got that text from Mel. It was amazing."_

Kathryn's eyes grew wide at Regina's story. It had taken over a year of them being friends for Regina to even consider letting her see one of the many sketchbooks in her possession. Yet, she'd let whoever this woman was flip through the drawings and paintings that she protected with her life, after knowing her for less than an hour. Regina was in deep.

"_Wait. You're telling me you showed her your sketchbook, and you actually spoke to her."_

"_I told her my name. But the rest I wrote down." _Regina admitted.

"_I see." _ She waited a moment trying to gauge what Regina's reaction to her next statement would be. "Do you like her, Reg?"

The blonde saw a flicker of something in her friend's eyes before Regina shook her head.

"_I have Melanie." _

"That doesn't answer my question."

Regina looked down at her hands and then back up at Kathryn. She knew she'd felt something with Emma that she hadn't felt in a long time. But she knew she could never let herself act on any of them.

She had Mel. Friendship would just have to be enough.

She'd get to see Emma that way.

The brunette took a deep breath and addressed the blonde sitting across from her.

"_I don't know. I've never met someone like her. She is absolutely amazing. She accepted me being deaf without missing a beat. And she was really funny. I felt like I could be myself with her. She even asked me to show her how to fingerspell her name, and mine. Mel has never even tried to learn. It was nice."_

Just by the way Regina was describing her, with that big smile and bright eyes, Kathryn could tell that the brunette did in fact like the woman she'd met that afternoon. Even if she couldn't or wouldn't admit it to herself.

She knew Regina would never intentionally hurt someone else, even someone who had hurt her countless times like Mel had. But Regina deserved to be happy. If the woman she was talking about was able to return the light that had been sucked out of Regina, she would do everything in her power to help that relationship along. Mel and Cora be damned.

"_So who is this amazing girl?" _Kathryn needed to know who was able to bring out such happiness in Regina.

"Emma." Regina told her, the grin that seemed permanently plastered across her face growing exponentially. The name fell easily from her lips.

"Her name is Emma."

* * *

That was a long one. What do you guys think? Did you like the parallel thing because I had a blast with it.

I said the last chapter was my favorite, but I had the most fun writing this one. The Emma/MM/Ruby stuff is always fun for me, so is Regina/Kathryn.

Okay, let me have it. How bad was the Mel/Regina fight? I can take it (I think).

*****Important, please read*****

So, I have another question. I was trying to hold off on Cora's entrance until at least after the skating scene, but it looks like she will be making an appearance much sooner (this is Cora we're talking about, no patience). I plan to have like Mel and Regina go and have dinner with her or something, but I wasn't sure if I should have Regina's dad be alive or dead in this. What do you all think? Yay or nay?

To help with this decision I'll let you know what I plan to do with him if he is alive. I would have him fighting in Regina's corner. He would hate Mel and whenever Emma comes along they would bond. Cora would still wear the pants, but he would be a little bit of balance, if ignored by Cora, in the Mills household.

Also keep in mind this story is all about contrast.

Let me know your thoughts now that you know mine.

(Gosh this was a long note)


	7. Chapter 7

Another update! This one took longer than I intended, but with good reason.

I had a big chunk of this done on Friday, but then I went back and read through it and realized it was complete crap and scrapped the entire thing. I was too caught up in getting the next chapter out. So I gave myself Saturday to read over what I had published so far and then started this. It took me three tries, but I think I got it right with this one.

Once again I'd like to thank anyone who reviewed, followed, or added this tale to their favorites list. You guys rock. Keep the awesomeness coming :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

On with the show...

* * *

Chapter 7

"What are you doing?"

Emma jumped at the sound of August's voice, hitting her head on the underside of the bar in the process.

"Holy shit, August! Don't sneak up on me like that." the blonde rubbed the sore spot on the top of her head. She picked up the book that had been resting in her lap, before it was flung across the floor when August decided to pop up out of nowhere. She opened back up to her page and continued where she'd left off.

August leaned over and snatched the book out of Emma's lap, flipping to the front cover.

"Hey, give that back." Emma protested, stomping her foot and reaching for the book.

"Talking With You Hands, Listening With Your Eyes?" The scruffy manager questioned as he held the book out of his bartender's reach.

The blonde jumped to her feet and snatched the book from her nosy friend/boss. "I'm trying to learn sign language." She told him, shoving the book under her arm.

"While you're on the clock?" August asked, crossing his arms.

"Look around. Who comes to a bar on at five on a Wednesday?" The blonde made a sweeping motion indicating the rest of the restaurant. She had a point. The bar itself was empty save for the two regulars who were always there. Emma was positive they camped out in the bathrooms until the place opened. The tables and booths were less than halfway full with the dinner crowd. But unless they ordered alcohol, they weren't her problem.

"Alright, I'll give you that one. What about when a customer comes in?" August thought he had her for slacking on the job with that one. "You can't serve someone from under the counter."

"Covered." The blonde pointed a pale finger to the little cardboard sign she'd made when she came into work that read, "Ring for a drink". It was situated beside a bell she'd stolen from the kitchen.

"Fine. Go back to being lazy." August waved a dismissive hand at the stool Emma had been sitting on. He really didn't care what the bartender wanted to do with her down time when they were slow. He just liked to give his friend a hard time.

"With pleasure." The blonde opened her book back up and reclaimed her seat with a satisfied nod. She resettled the open book in her lap and held her hands up to mimic the signs pictured on the page.

Sunday morning she had gotten up bright and early and drove to every bookstore she could find on and off campus, picking up any book, help guide, or video she could find on learning sign language. She wanted to be able to communicate with Regina in the brunette's language so she'd immediately went about teaching herself to sign. It wasn't very hard, she'd mastered the alphabet and numbers by Monday and her fingerspelling skills were coming along. She was currently working on simple phrases, greetings, and the like.

She couldn't wait to show Regina what she'd learned.

The bell above the blonde rang, interrupting her little lesson. She cursed whoever had disturbed her and stood to greet whoever the person was.

She found David standing on the other side of the wooden surface, a friendly smile on his handsome face.

Emma softened at the sight of her friend.

"Hi, David. What can I get for you?"

"Hi Emma, I didn't actually come for a drink. Mary Margaret said I would find you here." He explained. "She says you're having trouble in physics?"

Duh. Emma had completely forgotten about her little rant about that painful class. That was the night she'd gotten her first good look at Regina. God, she was turning into a sap. But she couldn't find it in her to care.

"Yes I am. Do you think you could help me out?" she asked, slightly embarrassed by her lack finesse when it came to the mathematical arts.

"Of course. Meet me in the library tomorrow and we'll see what we can do."

"Thanks. I owe you one."

"No problem. See ya later."

"Bye David." She watched him leave the bar and fist pumped as she sat back down on her stool with her book. She would not be failing physics. Score.

Another ding of the bell halted her signing not two minutes later. This better be good. She could forgive David's disturbance, but she didn't think she could do the same for a stranger. Even if it was technically her job.

She plastered on her people smile, but it morphed into a scowl when she saw the person waiting for her.

"What do you want?" she growled, grabbing a rag and roughly wiping down the pristine surface.

Lacey, undeterred by the harsh tone of her ex-girlfriend, tried to catch Emma's eyes. "I wanted to see you. Can we talk?"

"I'm working." Emma refused to even look at her ex who had the nerve to come to her place of business. This woman had balls, she'd give her that.

"I can see that." Lacey tilted her head at the sign Emma had posted with a chuckle. The blonde moved further down the counter, focused completely on her cleaning.

"If you don't want a drink, then, please, just leave." Green eyes finally met the blue ones of the woman who hurt her so bad it still stung to this day. She wished Lacey would just leave her alone.

"You can't honestly still be this angry with me?"

Anger fueled by hurt flared in Emma's chest and she had restrain herself from lashing out at the pale brunette a few feet down the counter from her. She moved back down the counter so she could address Lacey without drawing attention to them.

The blonde lowered her voice to a whisper and glared at the brunette.

"Yes, I can, Lacey. You hurt me. You don't do that to someone you're supposed to love."

"I do love you Emma." Lacey pleaded and reached her hand out to the blonde only to have Emma snatch her arm away.

"No. You don't get to tell me that. You do not get come here and tell me that after what you did." Emma was fighting back tears at this point but she refused to let them fall. She'd spent enough tears on this woman.

"Emma, just give me a chance. If you'd let me explain…"

"Explain? No." Emma shook her head anger bubbling up again. "Leave."

Lacey let out a deep breath and nodded her head before turning to leave. "Goodbye Emma."

The blonde didn't even watch her go. She grabbed her book and stormed through the door to the kitchen, startling the cooks and a few of the servers.

"What's up, Em?" Charlie, the cook, asked as she passed.

"Fine." She grumbled, throwing open the door to August's office.

The man jumped at the sudden intrusion, his feet slamming onto the floor.

"Emma? What's wrong?"

August could see the tears brimming her eyes and the slight tremble in her jaw. He has never seen his sarcastic, tough as nails bartender like this before. It was alarming.

"Send me home." She told him, her voice never wavering despite her vulnerable state.

"But you haven't even been here two hours."

"August," her voice wavered slightly as her resolve not to cry weakened. "Send me home."

Stunned by the blonde's sudden mood, they'd been joking around not even twenty minutes ago, August nodded his consent.

"Sure. See you tomorrow night."

"Thank you." Emma said gratefully and turned to leave the office. She quickly grabbed her jacket and keys from the break room and was out the back door.

The blonde started her beetle and pointed it in the direction of campus. She needed her best friend.

* * *

Mary Margaret was reclining in her bed with her nose buried in a novel. She was alone for the evening. Emma was working and Ruby had a night class. The pixie haired brunette planned to enjoy the rare quiet evening. With her homework and studying out of the way she could get lost in the fantastical adventures of the books leading lady. No Ruby. No Emma. She loved them both to death but sometimes she needed Mary Margaret time.

All thoughts of quiet time with her book flew out the window when Emma came flying through the door. Her eyes were red and she looked ready to break. The fair skinned brunette tossed her book aside and silently opened her arms in invitation.

She knew what the blonde needed. They'd been friends for too long to not know.

Emma let out a deflated sigh and made her way over to her best friend. She climbed into bed with the petite woman and allowed her to wrap her up in a warm embrace.

They stayed like that for several minutes. Emma with her head resting on Mary Margaret's chest, Mary Margaret with her arms wrapped tightly around Emma. It wasn't often the blonde let herself be vulnerable, but when she did, Mary Margaret was her rock.

Emma was the strongest person Mary Margaret had ever met. Despite all that she had been through, her crappy childhood, going through her life truly believing that no one cared for her, Emma still found it inside herself to get up every morning (grumpy as hell) and go through the da with a smile on her face. She was a great person and an amazing friend. Mary Margaret was lucky to be able to have a person like Emma in her life and to be able to call her her best friend. It took a lot to break down the strong woman. And she would find the one who did this to her friend.

But first she needed to know what was going through Emma's head.

Mary Margaret ran a pale hand through blonde tresses, and whispered to her friend. "You ready to talk about it?"

She felt Emma's nod against her chest and she let her go. That was one thing that came with their talks, Emma didn't like to be cuddled when she was sharing something particularly painful. Emma shifted so she was sitting across from her friend Indian-style. The blonde didn't meet her eyes, instead choosing to stare at her hands as she pulled nervously at her fingers.

"What happened?" Mary Margaret prompted when Emma still hadn't said anything for several minutes.

Emma took a deep breath and finally looked up to meet her friends kind gaze.

"Lacey showed up at The Rabbit Hole." she admitted.

"Oh." The brunette wasn't sure what to do with that, feeling once again feeling terribly out of the loop when it came to Emma's ex. "Do you want me to call Ruby?" It hurt her to have to offer the support of someone else, but Emma clearly needed to talk.

Emma shook her head.

"Tell me what happened."

It was a loaded request, the blonde knew it. But she was ready to tell Mary Margaret the truth about what happened between her and Lacey.

She took a deep breath before speaking again.

"So you know me and Lacey dated for awhile last year." Mary Margaret nodded and Emma continued. "I was in love with her and I caught her cheating on me."

Mary Margaret gasped and held her hands to her mouth. She knew about the cheating part, she didn't know Emma had been in love with her.

"Yeah." Emma breathed out as the painful memories of that terrible night, the ones she'd been trying to keep at bay since making Lacey leave the bar, came flooding to the surface.

A single tear made its way down Emma's cheek.

* * *

_Emma skipped down the hall of Lacey's dorm, happily humming a random tune as she made her way to her girlfriend's door. She never thought she'd make it six months with anyone, her longest relationship had been a week and only to get help studying for a French final, but Lacey brought out the best in her. She was on her way to surprise her woman with dinner and a movie to celebrate the milestone._

_She stopped in front of Lacey's door and made sure the coast was clear before pulling the spare key Lacey had given her. The noises on the other side of the door didn't even register until it was too late. _

"_Lacey, baby…" _

_Emma flung open the door a strutted into the room and saw the two figures on the bed freeze on falling to the side. Lacey's head popped out from under the blankets, stunned expression covering her face. A black head of hair, decidedly male, come into view beside her girlfriend. _

"_Emma! What are you doing here?" The brunette gasped trying to cover herself and her booty call, failing miserably. _

"_What am I doing here?!" Emma screeched incredulously, not believing what she was seeing, "What the hell is he doing here?!" she pointed at the man accusingly. _

"_It's not what it looks like." Lacey tried, but Emma just scoffed and threw her head back in a humorless laugh. _

"_I'm not an idiot and neither are you. And we both know this is exactly what it looks like."_

"_Who is she, love?"_

_Lacey turned from her girlfriend and addressed the man. "Shut up."_

_The blonde turned for the still open door and hurried out if it before either one of them could see her cry. She slammed the door behind her and ran for the elevator. _

_The ride down was agonizingly slow. Emma felt as if her heart had been pulled from her chest, she couldn't breath from choking down her sobs. This is what happened when she trusted people. They just used her for what they wanted and then tossed her aside. Only loving her when it was convenient for them. She thought Lacey was different, but she had be so devastatingly wrong. _

_She made it outside and down the stairs leading to the entrance, when a voice stopped her. _

"_Emma, wait!" Lacey called out to her but she didn't stop, instead moving faster along the sidewalk. "Please. Just let me explain."_

_At this Emma stopped, anger replacing the hurt, and whirled around to face her now ex-girlfriend. _

"_Explain what exactly? How, when we've been dating for six months, you decided to hop into bed with some random loser? I don't want to hear it."_

_Emma waited for no response from the other woman and resumed her walk back to her own dorm. But a hand gripping her bicep stopped her. Once again Emma faced the last woman she wanted to see in this world again. _

"_I love you, Emma. Killian was just a mistake. He means nothing to me. I want to be with you." Lacey tried to pull the blonde into her arms, but Emma backed up several paces. _

"_Oh, it was a mistake? Well that makes all it better." Emma spit sarcastically, a hysterical edge to her words. "We're together, Lacey, and you fucked somebody else. A guy even. You don't do that to the person you love. You just don't."_

"_I'm sorry." The brunette was crying now, but Emma didn't care. What right did she have to cry in this? She was not the one who'd had her heart torn from her chest. _

"_If that were true, you would never have done this to me, to us." she shook her head in disgust. "Just answer one question for me. How long?"_

"_What?"_

"_How long has this mistake been going on?"_

_Lacey looked down at her feet, looking rightfully ashamed. She didn't answer._

"_How long, Lacey?!" The blonde growled, she almost didn't want to know the answer. But she had to. _

"_A month." the brunette all but whispered. _

_The answer was like a blow to the gut and Emma wasn't sure she could bear the pain. _

"_Goodbye, Lacey." _

_This time the blonde walked away and nothing stopped her. As she drew closer to her dorm building, the more her anger dissipated and was replaced by such raw pain she was almost doubled over. Sobs of anguish raked her body and she couldn't make her feet carry her any further. She collapsed in a heap on the steps on her building, pulling her knees to her chest, letting her tears fall freely. _

_The sound of footsteps broke through the sound of her own sobs and she heard a familiar voice. _

"_Oh my God, Emma! What happened?" _

_She felt Ruby's hands pull her to her feet. She tried to tell her friend what had transpired moments ago but couldn't find the words. "L-lacey...s-s-she...I-I-I...c-c-c-can't."_

_Ruby pulled her friend into a hug that Emma melted into. She would get an explanation from the blonde later. Right now she was clearly in pain and needed someone to lean on. _

"_Let's go upstairs." Ruby soothingly rubbed the blonde's back and helped her up the stairs and into the building. _

_Whoever did this was lucky Emma needed her, or else there would have been hell to pay. She was not above hunting bitches down. _

* * *

"I stayed with Ruby that night and told her everything." Emma finished explaining to Mary Margaret. Tears were making their way down her cheeks in a steady stream, but she reached up and wiped them away. There would be no more tears. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. It just hurt too much."

Mary Margaret reached out and pulled her friend into another hug, one that Emma didn't resist.

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Thanks." The blonde smiled at the petite woman as she pulled away.

"Lacey doesn't know what she let go. You are an amazing person, Emma. You deserve so much better." the pixie haired brunette reassured, squeezing her friend's hands.

"I know." Emma couldn't help but think of a certain olive skinned brunette. "Thank you for being here for me." she added shyly, never one to like looking weak.

"Always."

* * *

The Emma/Lacey drama has been explained. But not quite resolved yet. Now do you get her malice toward the woman?

To be honest, this what not what I had in mind when I started this chapter. When I write the chapters I literally start typing and let the characters do what they want. And this is a perfect example of that. In my mind it was supposed to cut to the library scene with David (and a few guests show up, hint hint), but when I got to the second dinging of the bell, Lacey decided to make an appearance and it just progressed from there. This thing has a mind of it's own I'm just along for the ride :)

How was the MM/Emma stuff? Too much?

Library scene is up next. It will be cute, I promise. And after that I plan to have Cora's first appearance. We'll see what happens. Skating shortly following that. I want to balance out the heavy with fluffy goodness.

Please let me know what you think. Your reviews mean the world to me.

(P.S. If anyone still watches the new episodes of Once, I'd really like to fangirl over all the SQ feels. Pretty please.)


	8. Chapter 8

As promised to a couple of reviewers here is Chapter 8. Whoa. I didn't think I'd get this far.

I'd like to take a moment to thank anyone who reviewed the last chapter (or any chapter). It really does mean a lot to me. And for all the awesome SQ fangirling I got to do, thanks for that. I don't really have anyone to do that with so it was great.

I kind of went and got myself in trouble and my mom threatened to take all my stuff (I totally just aged myself with that one. Eighteen if anyone cared). So if at any point there is a big gap between chapters that is most likely what happened. I am not giving up on this story. We're safe for now, I just thought I'd let y'all know.

In other news, y'all can thank a little playlist I like to call Disney! for this chapter getting done. Because I was in a slump these last few days and had no motivation whatsoever. But I put that little playlist on loop and here we are. I write to music and those songs always put me in a good mood. (We're not gonna talk about how many songs I actually have in that playlist. Its a big one.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Reading through that I realize I am a big dork. On with the show.

* * *

Chapter 8

Emma woke up to the sound of her alarm at 10 am the next day, her head throbbing slightly from the night before, and an empty room. Mary Margaret had already been gone for her first class for two hours, leaving the blonde to sleep in. She shuffled her bed sheets around until she found the offending device and shutting off the blaring car alarm sound.

Stretching with a groan, Emma sat up in bed and looked around. Only hours ago she'd been wrapped up in her best friend's arms, balling like a baby over a girl. One who broke her heart, but a girl none the less.

What a huge blow it would be to her tough guy image if anyone found out.

Maybe she could move on and let people back in.

She dragged her lanky form from beneath her Avengers comforter and shuffled over to her closet to pick out her clothes for the day. She kept it simple with a pair of jeans and black shirt with Iron Man's arc reactor on the chest. Yeah, simple. Today, she would be Iron Man.

Emma chuckled at her own joke, the humor helping to improve the funky mood she'd woken up in following the emotionally draining night. Though she was still feeling exhausted. She was glad she finally told someone other than Ruby about what happened that night. She just didn't know it would take that much out of her, and leave her in this funk.

Nevertheless, Emma started dressing for the day, sliding into her impossibly tight pants. As she pulled the shirt over her head her phone sounded from the heap of blankets in the center of her twin bed, the theme music from Xena blaring relentlessly.

A smile split across her face as she thought of who that ringtone belonged to. Everyone in her contacts list had their own personal song so there would be no surprises when she went to answer it. She knew exactly who had just sent her a message and she couldn't help the giddy feeling that broke through the funk.

She dug the device out of the blankets and slid her finger over the touch screen to open the text from Regina.

**Are you awake yet?**

Emma can't help but giggle at the message. She had worked up the courage to send Regina the first tentative, "hi" Sunday afternoon she and the other woman had been texting each other at a near constant rate ever since. The only problem was that Emma was by no means a morning person, she didn't have any classes scheduled before 10:30am at all during the week for that very reason. It seemed that when Regina texted her first she would ask if Emma was up and wait. If she got an immediate response she started a conversation.

It was cute to the blonde.

**Yes. What's up? **

**Nothing. Just making sure you get to class on time. **

Emma smiled. Regina was too adorable. Checking up on her and stuff. She knew she'd found her a keeper.

Even if they were just friends.

That was cool with her.

For now.

**Thanks :) I am getting ready right now. **

**Good. Don't be late :)**

**You sound like my roommate woman**

**Is that a good thing?**

**Definitely****. Been BFFs forever. **

**Sounds good to me :)**

**Lol. How are you?**

**I'm great. I just finished up my biology lab. On my way to painting.**

**Yuck. I hate science. **

**I don't understand why I need it. I'm an art major for a reason. **

**My thoughts exactly. Where does physics fit into an English major?**

**Haha, I should go you need to get to class. **

**But it's so boring. **

**Are you whining?**

**Maybe ;)**

**Go. **

**Fine. Text you later?**

**I would hope so. **

**Bye Regina.**

**Bye Emma. **

Emma closed her messages, and sighed happily. Her weird mood completely dissipated after the conversation with Regina. The way they'd been able to relax and be themselves with each other on the quad carried over into their electronic correspondence after they got past the first awkward messages. Emma found that Regina had a whip-like sense of humor and was able to counter everything the blonde threw her way. She was hilarious, and Emma found herself genuinely laughing out loud.

And Emma was her usual charming self.

She checked the time and cursed under her breath. She was pushing it. She'd be lucky if she made it to her writing class on time. But she wouldn't trade her conversation with Regina for anything at this point.

Hurrying to tie her Chuck's she grabbed her keys and book bag, making sure she had her ASL books, and was out the door in a flurry of blonde hair.

* * *

"Shit." Emma cursed as she ran past building after building, trying and failing to make it to the one that housed her writing class in less than a minute. She really needed to work on her time management.

It had to be the one farthest from her dorm. Just my luck, she thought picking up the pace. She almost collided with another person, but sidestepped them, thankfully without causing a collision. Only brushing the other student's shoulder as she passed.

"Sorry." she called over her shoulder and kept it moving. She had about thirty seconds.

Kathryn watched the sprinting woman and raised an eyebrow and shook her head. Some people just didn't grasp the concept of alarm clocks. She was just glad she hadn't gotten leveled.

According to Regina there was a pretty good chance of it this semester.

* * *

Regina entered the library with her school bag slung over her shoulder. She was supposed to be meeting Kathryn so she could help her friend with a paper. Regina herself was done for the day, she'd blocked all of her classes together in the mornings so she would be done by three. She checked her watch, 3:34. Mel was supposed to pick her up at five so she was on a time schedule.

She felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned around to find Kathryn smiling at her.

"_Hey, you ready to write that paper?" _She asked returning.

"_Yes. You are a life saver." _Kathryn praised as they made their way further into the quiet building to look for a table.

"_I know." _The brunette replied with a smirk.

The blonde laughed, she had missed this sarcastic side of her best friend. It was nice.

"_And oh so humble."_

Regina just continued to smirk and walked ahead of the other woman, scouting out a table.

She was unaware that green eyes followed her the entire way.

* * *

"Emma are you even listening?" David asked waving his hand in front of the blonde's face.

Emma blinked a couple times and refocused her attention on her tutor. "What?"

"You are impossible." The man shook his head at his temporary pupil. "I asked if you were listening."

"No. Sorry David." Emma apologized and looked back at the problem David had just been explaining.

He went back to showing her how to solve the, what Emma thought was impossible, problem, but tuned him out again after a few moments. She hadn't seen Regina since Saturday and now they were in the same building.

Who could blame her for letting her mind wander?

As slyly as she could she slid her phone into her lap, all the while pretending to be deeply interested in what David was trying to teach her. She opened a new message typed away, only glancing at her lap briefly once.

**I see you :)**

Regina's reply was almost instant and it took all of Emma's willpower not to burst out laughing.

**Are you stalking me?**

**That coming from the voyeur who watched me sleep for almost two hours? Someone's full of themselves.**

**Hey, that was for art! What's your excuse?**

Emma bit back another giggle as she nodded and hummed in understanding when David asked her a question.

**No, I am not stalking you. You walked right past me. **

**And you didn't even say hello? How rude. **

This woman was going to be the death of her, Emma was sure of it.

**What about me? I don't get a "Hey Emma."? **

**I didn't see you. It doesn't count. **

**Ok if you say so :)**

**I say so :)**

The blonde had to pause their conversation as David slid the paper they were working through Emma's practice problems on over to her. She quickly bullshitted her way through the first couple steps before looking over to her tutor.

"Could you explain this again. I still don't get it." She gave him her famous puppy dog eyes, that everyone fell victim too, and he acquiesced, albeit with a roll of his own.

Emma shifted her attention back to her lap and saw she had another message from Regina.

**Are you coming to say hello?**

The blonde's smile widened, but she quickly covered it up when David gave her a suspicious glare.

**Maybe :) If you ask nicely. **

**You evil woman. (glaring at you) **

A few moments passed before Regina's next text came through.

**Please. **

Emma smirked.

**Now was that so hard?**

**Yes. **

Once again she had to cover up a laugh, playing it off as clearing her throat.

**Alright, alright. Where'd you go?**

**That's for me to know and you to figure out. **

**Who's the evil one now? **

**Still you :)**

Before Emma had the chance to respond her phone was ripped out of her hand. Her head shot up to meet the narrowed eyes of David. She had the decency to look guilty, but her eyes screamed another story.

"I'm trying to help you, and you're not even paying attention."

"Sorry. Just let me send one more message." He tilted his head at her. "Then I'm all ears." She promised.

"Fine." He handed the device back to his friend and watched her type away before she handed the phone back over.

"Just so you aren't tempted." David looked around them and then called out. Loud enough for the surrounding shelves to hear but not loud enough to draw any unwanted attention. "Mary Margaret."

The petite brunette came around the corner, a blissful look on her face and the front of her clothes thoroughly rumpled. Emma pulled a face and looked over to David whose expression mirrored her own.

"Ruby's here isn't she?" The blonde asked with a smirk.

Mary Margaret's cheeks lit up like a Christmas tree and that was all the answer the other two needed.

"In the library? Really?" Emma asked.

The brunette just shrugged. "What can I say? My girlfriend's hot."

David cleared his throat, getting uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was going.

"Can you hold onto this for Emma? Apparently she doesn't want pass physics." He shot her a pointed look.

She just spit her tongue out at him. To which he rolled his eyes for what felt like the thousandth time since they'd been in the library. Sometimes it felt like he was dealing with a toddler when it came to the blonde instead of a twenty year old.

"Sure." Mary Margaret easily caught the device that was tossed her way and walked off leaving the two to their lesson.

"Okay back to the problems. Do number five and I'll check it." David instructed.

Emma gave him a sheepish look. "I have to use the restroom. Be right back." She slid her chair back from the table and hurried off in the direction of the restrooms with no intention of using the facilities.

The patient man let his head fall to the desk. "You're killing me, Em."

* * *

Regina felt her phone vibrate from her pocket and pulled it out to read Emma's last text.

**On my way ;)**

The brunette smiled to herself. Having Emma as a friend was one of the best things that had happened to her in a while. The blonde never failed to make her laugh and she just felt so comfortable when she talked to her. She always looked forward to their text conversations no matter what time of day. Now faced with the probability of actually seeing her since that wonderful Saturday afternoon, she couldn't help the giddy feeling that bubbled up inside her.

She realized they'd only met five day previous, but she was attached. Brown eyes scanned the surrounding bookshelves, hoping to catch a glimpse of golden blonde hair and emerald green eyes.

She noticed Kathryn trying to get her attention and focused back on her best friend.

"_I'm sorry. What do you need?" _

"_Can you look over what I have written so far? I need to find a book." _Kathryn asked pushing her laptop so it was in front of the brunette.

Regina nodded her head in answer and started skimming what her friend had written. Her blonde rose from the table and disappeared around the corner.

* * *

She got about halfway down the page when she felt a pair of hands slide over her eyes. Panic seized her for a moment until a familiar scent invaded her senses. She fought the reflexive urge to swing when the fingers spread to allow her to see through the thin digits.

It was Emma being a big goofball. Nothing new there.

Just as fast as the hands had appeared they were gone and the blonde had taken up the seat beside her. There was a huge grin plastered on her face, one Regina couldn't help but mirror.

"_I found you." _Emma fingerspelled.

Regina was stunned. Clearly Emma had been learning to sign and she was actually pretty good at it. The letters were signed perfectly. She could have done it a little faster, but for a novice, Regina was impressed. Not even Mel had done that for her. Regina was touched.

"_You're learning to sign?" _She asked after her stunned silence had dragged on long enough.

Emma, pleased with herself for knowing what Regina had signed, smiled. _"Yes. For you." _

"_Thank you." _

"_Why wouldn't I?" _The blonde questioned with a tilt of her head.

Regina reached out to correct the blonde's "Why?" sign gently, the rest of the sentence had been fingerspelled perfectly. Emma let Regina's smooth skilled hands guide her own into the correct position, and nodded her head in thanks as she practiced it a couple times, determined to get it right the next time.

Regina slowed down her hands as she addressed the blonde. Wanting to teach as they conversed. Since Emma was willing to learn.

"_People usually expect me to talk."_

Emma saw the slightly irritated glint that passed over Regina's chocolate eyes. She patted the other woman's hands and gave her a reassuring smile.

"_You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to. I'll learn to sign better." _

Regina couldn't describe how happy that simple statement better. Emma was truly an amazing person. How had she gotten so lucky?

"_You are doing wonderfully by the way. I'm very impressed."_

The blonde beamed with pride at Regina's words. She'd hoped to impress her new friend with her mad skills and it was working. She had studied those books for hours on end, neglecting her actual schoolwork, in favor of mastering simple sentences. But Regina needn't know that last part. Speaking of impressing the tan skinned woman.

"_You never told when you're free for skating. How about tomorrow night?" _she had practiced signing those particular statements for hours, making she had every sign down, hoping she would see the brunette and be able to ask her in person.

Regina was truly impressed with Emma's abilities and so much wanted to say yes, badly, but couldn't.

"_I'm supposed to have dinner with my parents tomorrow night."_

Emma scrunched her eyes, trying to figure out what Regina was saying. That one was a little tricky.

"_Ditch em." _she smirked, remembering the sign for parents.

Regina gave a rueful chuckle, if only it were that easy.

"_I wish I could. Can we go Saturday?" _she asked hopefully.

Emma mentally contemplated her schedule, she was supposed to work Saturday night. August could do without her for one night. Regina was worth it.

"_Definitely. Eighteen and older after nine." _

"_We could eat before we go." _Regina suggested. In the back of her mind this was starting to sound like a date. But she ignored it. They were just two friends hanging out on a Saturday night. That's how it had to be.

"_You read my mind." _Emma giggled. _"I'll pick you up at eight?"_

Regina gave a challenging smirk and raised her eyebrows. _"What make you think I need picked up?"_

The wide eyed look on Emma's face was priceless. Payback for sneaking up on her. She waited a moment before putting the poor girl out of her misery.

She held her hand up to stop Emma's attempt at an apology and simply smiled.

"_I was teasing. Eight would be great." _

"_Don't scare me like that." _the blonde let out a relieved breath, she had thought she had offended Regina.

"_Sorry." _

Emma only smiled. _"You really are evil."_

Regina feigned offense and shoved the pale woman playfully by her shoulder.

"_Shut up." _

The pair shared a laugh and continued their conversation, unaware of prying eyes.

* * *

Kathryn watched Regina interact with the blonde woman who'd taken her seat, intrigued. There was no doubt in her mind that this woman was Emma. And the woman that nearly trampled her only hours ago.

Oh that was too good to be true. Emma had already knocked Regina off her feet.

This was fate, dammit.

She'd seen the pale woman sneak up on Regina, and had had half a mind to march over and berate her for her rude behavior. But when she saw Regina visibly relax in the other woman's presence, she'd backed off.

She had wanted to see where this was going.

If Regina's face had lit up, simply by talking about Emma, she was burning brighter than the sun (Colbie Caillat song reference very much intended) as she sat face to face with the girl she so obviously had a crush on. And Emma was no different.

Seeing them together only made her determination to get Regina to wake up and see what was literally right in front of her. Forget what anyone had to say about it. Emma was signing for crying out loud! They'd known each other for less than a week. She knew Regina had been texting Emma none stop since Sunday, the smile every time a new message came through gave her away.

Regina was smitten.

So was Emma.

Kathryn needed a plan.

She continued to watch the adorable pair as they conversed about seemingly random topics. There were a lot of barriers she would have to work through, the biggest one being Regina herself.

This was going to be a delicate operation and would have to be handled with care. Success was the only option.

A noise from behind her startled Kathryn out of her thoughtful revere. She jumped at the intrusion and dropped the book she'd been hiding behind. The blonde bent to retrieve the book only to find a pale hand holding it out to her.

The owner of said hand was a petite, pixie haired brunette. The woman wore an apologetic look.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Kathryn accepted the book back and smiled at the short woman. "Thanks."

She turned back to her snooping, but felt the continued presence of the woman behind her.

Mary Margaret looked over the blonde woman's shoulder and saw she was watching Emma and a woman she didn't recognize. But by the light in her eyes and the easy smile on her lips she could easily assume who the other woman was. That was Regina. The two were laughing together, Emma was talking animatedly as the brunette continued her silent laughter.

"They are so cute together." She commented to herself

All of a sudden the woman she'd startled whirled around to face her.

"How do you know them?"

"Emma is my best friend." She stated proudly. "How do you know them?"

"Regina is my best friend." Kathryn stated with an equal amount of pride.

They both watched their respective best friends. It was as if they could feel the happiness rolling off the pair and neither one could help the smiles that took over their own faces.

They turned to each other in the same moment, identical thoughts running through their minds.

"This has to happen." Mary Margaret declared firmly.

"It'd be a crime for it not to." Kathryn agreed.

"So what are we going to do about it?"

"Give them a nudge in the right direction."

"It won't be easy." Mary Margaret pointed out.

"It never is."

"I'm in if you're in." The brunette stuck out a pale hand to the other woman. "I'm Mary Margaret."

"I'm so in." the blonde accepted the pale hand and shook. "I'm Kathryn."

"What's the plan?" The petite woman asked as they focused their attention on their friends.

* * *

Emma heard the sound of footsteps and her name being half yelled, half whispered. She'd completely forgotten about David. Oops.

Panic must have show on her face. Regina gave her a concerned look.

"_What's wrong?"_

Emma chose to give a verbal response. It was much quicker in her current predicament. She needed to get back to her table.

"I abandoned my tutor. He's looking for me."

Regina laughed at the blonde as she stood from the chair beside her.

"Don't laugh at me this is serious."

"_If you say so." _Regina continued to giggle at her friend.

"You." Emma pointed faux menacingly at the brunette. "I'll text you later. If I survive."

"_One can only hope." _

"Bye." Emma waved and jogged off looking around as she did so.

Seconds later a man wearing a scowl stomped by and followed the blonde.

There was nothing to be done about the fit of laughter that burst from Regina.

Only Emma.

She shook her head and went back to reading Kathryn's paper from where'd she'd left off before her happy distraction.

* * *

So I am totally in love with this chapter. It basically sets up the next three chapters and is adorable all at one time. Go me. (That was narcissistic)

Since I'm in a sharing mood, I want to point out a few of what I like to call Macisms (my name is Macenzie, again if anyone cared). I like to add stupid shit I do to stories. For example Emma's Marvel fixation. I am a huge Marvel fan. And I am proud of it. Also, Emma's arc reactor shirt. I have an identical t-shirt (birthday present from my best friend, I love her so much) and when I wear it I am Iron Man. I make sure everyone knows it too (posts in all caps on Facebook). Lastly the Xena ringtone. That was my ringtone for everything for over a year until my phone wiped everything off it and I've been too lazy to re-download it.

Well there's a little bit about me. Boring I know.

Can anyone guess what the next chapter is going to be?

(P.S. If anyone watched the season finale of Rizzoli and Isles, how was it? No spoilers. I haven't watched it yet, I DVRed that shit and my sister canceled it. So now I have to wait for a rerun. Is it worth it?)


	9. Chapter 9

Don't be mad. I know I promised a few reviewers I would have this up over the weekend, but life kind of kicked me in the butt and I needed some sleep. Anyways, I was having a little bit of trouble with this and it took a few tries. I just hope it got it right.

This one is pretty long and I jammed a lot of stuff in it. So be prepared.

On a completely unrelated note, I finally saw Frozen and it is my new favorite Disney movie. That is all.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

On with the show.

* * *

Chapter 9

Kathryn pushed open the door to her dorm to find her roommate running around in a frenzy of brunette hair and clothes. The usual impeccable state of their suite was disrupted by the presence of a majority of Regina's wardrobe. Well, everywhere. It looked like Regina's hair was only halfway done and she wasn't wearing any pants.

Then she remembered what day it was. Regina was going to have dinner with her parents and Mel. She did not envy her friend's plans for the night one bit. In fact she wished she could swoop in and save her the insecurity and hurt she would inevitably face before the evening was over. But something inside her told Kathryn that she probably wasn't the right blonde for the job.

That reminded her, she was supposed to meet Mary Margaret later to discuss their course of action in their scheme to get their best friends their happy endings, with each other.

But she'd worry about that later. Right she needed to calm Regina down.

The brunette blew past her again with a dress and slacks in each of her hands and two different heels on her feet. She was still sans pants. It would have been funny under any other circumstance.

Kathryn reached out and grabbed her friend by the shoulders, shaking her slightly. Regina's worried brown eyes met hers.

"Take a deep breath." She instructed gently, urging the tanned woman to do as she said with her eyes. She took took the clothes from her friend's hands and tossed them onto the couch behind them.

Regina nodded and followed Kathryn's instruction. She closed her eyes and took another before meeting her friend's blue eyes again.

"Good. What do you need?"

"_I have nothing to wear."_ Regina's words took on a panicked tone and her eyes went wide. She turned out of Kathryn's hands and started throwing clothes around again. _"And Mel's going to be here in half an hour."_ The brunette looked back to her closest friend.

"_Help me. Please."_

Kathryn nodded and moved around the frantic brunette. She hated that Regina got this worked up over something as simple as sharing a meal with her parents and girlfriend. You weren't supposed to get stressed out over going out to eat. Kathryn picked a pair of black skinny jeans and a white, button down blouse out of the pile of clothes Regina had draped over the back of the couch and handed them to her.

"Here put these on."

She spun the other woman in the direction of her room, which looked even worse than their small living room. She had no doubt Regina would have everything back to normal by tomorrow morning. Chaos would not do for her friend. It was one of the habits Cora had drilled into Regina. It was one of the more mild ones.

"Thank you." Regina said before closing the door to change.

Kathryn moved to the bathroom and unplugged the curling iron Regina had sitting on the counter by the sink and grabbed the brunette's brush. She plugged it in near the couch set it on a towel on the coffee table with the brush to heat back up.

Regina came back out of her room looking down at her outfit, straightening out nonexistent wrinkles. Kathryn spun around in her seat on the couch to face her.

"_Are you sure this is alright?"_ The olive skinned woman asked, meeting Kathryn's gaze.

"Yes." Kathryn reassured firmly. "You look amazing, Reg. Now come here so I can finish your hair."

Regina obliged and planted herself on the floor in front of her friend. She sat silently while Kathryn easily worked the curling iron through her long dark brown locks, curling each piece tightly and then brushing it out to creating flowing waves that fell down her back. The soothing way the brush and metal iron moved through her hair helped calm Regina's ever growing nerves about seeing her parents. Namely her mother.

* * *

A knock sounded on the door as the blonde let the last piece of hair go. She tapped Regina's shoulder to get her attention. Brown eyes looked up to her as another impatient knock came from the door.

"Mel's here." Kathryn said flatly.

"_Okay,"_ Regina looked around at their mess of a dorm, before turning back to Kathryn. _"Can you let her in, while I pick up these clothes." _

The blonde kept her sly smirk at bay and nodded her head as she stood up. She waited until Regina had grabbed the entire stack of clothing and disappeared into her room to open the door. She had a huge smile plastered across her face as she swung the door open to reveal an irritated looking Mel.

"Took you long enough." the older woman spat.

"Sorry about that." Kathryn apologized, smile unchanged by the woman's nasty attitude.

"Where's Regina?" Mel asked with an eye roll. She was always waiting for that girl.

"She'll just be a moment." Kathryn told her politely. She opened the door wider and stepped aside to allow the older blonde to enter the room. "Why don't you come in and have a seat while you wait?"

Mel eyed Regina's friend strangely, but entered nonetheless.

Kathryn closed the door with a soft click as Mel perched herself on the edge of the couch. She walked over to the mini refrigerator and called over her shoulder to the woman who was looking around her home with scowl on her face.

"Would you like a cold beverage?"

"No." Had this insufferable blonde lost her mind? What the hell was going on? "Why are you being nice to me? We hate each other. Remember?"

Kathryn closed fridge after pulling out a bottle of water for herself. She twisted off the cap as she made eye contact with the woman she'd despised for the better part of a year. She took a generous drink from the bottle, further irritating the bitch of woman, before finally speaking.

"Why would I waste energy on a problem that will soon be resolved." she answered with a shrug.

Mel looked at her like she was crazy and Kathryn had to hold in a laugh.

"What are you talking about?"

"You, of course." The blonde answered as if talking to a child. "Don't worry you won't have to deal with me much longer either."

The older woman just gave her a puzzled look, so Kathryn continued. She started making her way across the small space toward the seated woman, her smile morphing into a menacing glare.

"Don't you see its a win win for everyone. We won't have to deal with each other and Regina will be happy. When you're gone." Kathryn giggle at her last statement. By the look on Mel's face she sounded as crazy as she thought. But it was worth it. So worth it.

Mel sneered at the other woman. She had no idea who she was messing with.

"Sorry to burst your psychotic bubble, Kaitlyn. But I'm here to stay. You haven't convinced Regina to leave me after a year." She said haughtily. "What makes you think you can now?"

"Oh sweet, naive Mel." Kathryn shook her head in mock disappoint, ignoring the cheap shot at her sanity. "I'm not the one you need to worry about." Again she giggled like a maniac.

Mel visibly balked at Kathryn's words. She opened her mouth to retort but was stopped by the sound of Regina's bedroom door opening. Kathryn took a few steps back and leaned non threateningly against the back of the couch.

"It's about time." Mel snapped at her girlfriend as she stood and spun around to face her, unable to lash out the woman she wanted to.

Regina fixed the strap of the black satchel she'd donned, along with a purple blazer and black, knee high, leather boots, while cleaning up the mess she'd made of her room.

She looked to Kathryn to interpret for her. The blonde in turn nodded and waited for her to start.

"_I'm sorry. I had to clean up." _

Mel just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's go. We're going to be late."

The brunette nodded and rushed over to Kathryn for a quick hug.

"_See you later."_

"_Tell your dad I said, "What's up?"" _Kathryn joked. She wasn't Cora's biggest fan, but she loved Regina's dad, Henry. He was one cool dude, if she said so herself.

Regina laughed and shook her head. _"Okay. Bye." _

"_Bye." _

Kathryn watched as Mel grabbed hold of Regina's arm and pulled her to the door. She felt her anger boil up at the rough gesture, but soothed herself with the knowledge that Mel would soon be out of the picture.

"Have a good evening, Melanie." She called in a sweet voice that was dripping in venom. "While you still can."

The only response she received was a death glare and the slamming of the door. The blonde gave a full bellied laugh at Mel's reaction as she bounded from her spot on the back of the couch.

She was off to meet her co-conspirator.

* * *

Regina was sitting in the passenger seat of Mel's, watching the scenery fly past as they sped down the freeway. Her parents were in Boston for the weekend on business and her mother had insisted on dinner so they could "catch up", which really meant make sure Regina was being kept in line. That's why Mel was invited to "family dinner".

She let out a sigh as Mel switched lanes. The evening was bound to be a disaster, nothing was ever good enough for her mother, and it didn't help that Regina was already irritated going in to it. It made absolutely no sense for Melanie to drive all the way from Boston to pick her only to drive all the back to where her parents were staying. Regina was perfectly capable of driving herself, she's had her license for six years just like everybody else. The fact that her mother had sent her girlfriend to collect her was insulting.

As her mood sunk lower the closer they got to Boston, Regina's phone vibrated from the pocket of her jeans. She tugged the device out and smiled when she saw Emma's name. She opened the message, her mood already starting to lighten.

**Hi :)**

**Hi yourself :)**

**What are you up to?**

**On my way to Boston for dinner with my parents. What about you? **

**Working :( **

**And talking to me? **

**I got mad skills. Didn't you know?**

**Yes. **

**What's wrong? **

Regina was a little taken aback by the question. How could Emma sense her mood through simple text messages.

**I'm fine. **

She lied.

**I don't think so. What's got you down. **

For some reason Regina was compelled to be completely honest with Emma, and now was no different.

**I'm not looking forward to the evening. **

**Why? Are your parents really that bad?**

**My mother is.**

**You just need some cheering up. Give me a minute. **

Regina waited a few moments, confused as to what Emma could possibly do when she was halfway to Boston. She didn't have to wait long for an answer as her phone vibrated again and it took all she had not to burst out laughing. Instead she let out a soft giggle at the picture Emma had sent her.

The blonde was sitting under what she assumed was the bar at the Rabbit Hole. Her green eyes were crossed and her cheeks were puffed out. It was adorable and hilarious and so thoughtful all at the same time. She couldn't help but smile.

**Feeling better? **

**Much. Thank you. **

**Happy to be of service :)**

**I hope you know that picture is your contact pic now :)**

**I would expect no less. Oh crap here comes my boss. Gotta go. Try to have fun tonight :) See you tomorrow :)**

**I'll try. Bye Emma. **

The brunette let out another soft laugh as she slid her phone back into her pocket, leave it to Emma being a giant goof ball to cheer her up. She really was a good friend.

Mel looked over at her girlfriend, she'd had her face glued to her phone, with a stupid grin on her face and now she was smiling and giggling every so often. Suddenly Kathryn's earlier words floated mockingly through her head. That simply would not do. Time for some damage control.

She reached a hand across the middle console and took a tanned hand in her own. Regina looked over to her and she smiled her most dazzling smile.

"Who was that?" She asked innocently.

"Just a friend." Regina said with a shrug.

"Oh." Mel pulled her hand away from Regina and glared at the road ahead. She silently counted in her head, waiting for Regina to take the bait. She got to five before she felt a hand on her knee.

"You have nothing to worry about." The brunette urged, squeezing the blonde's knee in reassurance.

"I hope not." Mel spat before delivering the final blow. "Mommy would be so disappointed."

Regina visibly paled at her girlfriend's words.

Good feelings gone.

She shrank back into her seat and crossed her arms over her chest.

Yep, tonight was going to be a total bust.

* * *

Mel stopped her vehicle in front of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the Boston Common, only the best for her mother, Regina thought bitterly. They exited the car and the blonde tossed her keys to the valet with a warning.

"Don't scratch the paint."

The brunette just rolled her eyes, there really was no need for her girlfriend to be so rude to everyone. She offered the employee a kind smile as he passed to park the car. He smiled back. See no need to be rude.

A hand encircled her wrist and Regina felt herself being pulled along into the building. Mel pulled her along until they were standing just outside the entrance to the five star restaurant housed inside the hotel. Regina looked around trying to find her parents in the people milling around the area with a mixture of apprehension and excitement. Suddenly, Mel's hooked her arm through her own and pulled her so they were standing shoulder to shoulder, as close as possible. Regina looked to see a huge smile on the face of her girlfriend.

That could only mean one thing.

Regina followed Mel's line of vision until her gaze fell upon her parents, gliding gracefully toward them.

Her mother looked poised and put together as ever. Not a single piece of light brunette hair out of place in her elaborate updo. The dark blue dress she wore spoke of her affluent status. The makeup adorning pale skin and cold eyes created an intimidating effect. Perfection as she called it. Regina pulled at the ends of her blazer and looked to her jeans and boots, feeling suddenly underdressed.

She looked back up as the pair drew closer. Brown eyes scanned over her father. The slightly round man was a stark contrast to his wife. Where Cora's features were cold and calculating, Henry's were warm and welcoming. His tanned face held laugh lines and he had a smile on his face, where Cora had a scowl. The balding man was dressed less formal than his wife, opting for khaki slacks and a light blue button down with no tie or jacket.

Regina was surprised her mother would allow such a thing.

She wasn't left much time to ponder her parents' relationship as they were now standing directly in front her and Mel.

Regina put on a smile and greeted her parents.

"Mother, Daddy." She spoke, knowing her mother preferred speech to signing.

Cora smiled at her daughter, though it didn't come close to reaching her eyes.

"Regina, darling. It's so wonderful to see you." She kissed each of Regina's cheeks and pulled away to survey her daughter with a critical eye. "Dear, you couldn't have worn something a tad nicer?"

Regina winced and glanced down at her outfit. She knew she should have gone with a dress. Before she could apologize her mother had already moved on to greet Mel.

"Melanie, how are you dear?" Cora greeted her daughter's girlfriend with a short hug and kiss to each cheek. "You're looking fabulous as always." she praised the blonde's black cocktail dress and killer stilettos.

"You should have helped Regina prepare for the evening."

Mel let out a bark of laughter. "I would have if I thought it would help."

The two shared a dignified laugh and moved away a few steps heads bent in conversation, leaving Henry and Regina alone.

Regina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. But her mother would never allow such insolence, so she settled for an internal eye roll instead. She turned to her father and let a huge grin light up her face.

"_Hi Daddy." _

Henry smiled and signed back to his daughter. _"Hello Regina."_

"_I've missed you." _

"_Come here." _

Henry held his arms open in invitation and Regina stepped into her father's embrace with no hesitation, accepting the bear hug. She rested her head on the short man's shoulder and allowed his familiar scent to fill her with feelings of warmth and safety. She loved her dad more than anything in the world. He had a gentle soul and kind disposition that was hard to find. Her entire life he had been there for her with unwavering love and support.

They both stepped out of the hug and Henry continued.

"_You look as beautiful as always sweetheart." _

Regina smiled and blushed at the compliment.

"_Thank you. Jefferson isn't coming?" _She questioned.

Henry let out a sigh and shook his head. _"He couldn't make it this time. The kids are sick. He told me say hello for him." _

Regina nodded her in understanding, though she doubted the honesty in her brother's excuse for missing dinner. Jefferson was ten years Regina's senior and he had two adorable children, Henry and Grace. He avoided family gatherings like the plague. Unlike Regina, he didn't constantly seek their mother's approval, something he'd been trying to get his sister to stop doing for years. But he didn't understand. He didn't have to work for their mother's unconditional love, granted the woman had a hell of a way of showing it, but it was unconditional nonetheless. Jefferson was what Cora saw as the perfect child, Regina was not.

But that was too much for her to think about at the moment.

She'd just have to give her brother a call. If she found out that he'd used her niece and nephew to get out of the evening with their parents, he'd be in deep shit.

"_Kathryn says hello to you." _

Henry went to respond, but was cut off by the sound of Cora's voice. He turned toward the voice and Regina followed suit.

"Henry, dear, our table is ready." She and Mel were standing by the maitre de podium waiting for the father daughter pair. "And do stop those silly hand gestures. People are staring."

Regina looked around, no one was paying them any mind. At least they hadn't until Cora had said something. She dipped her head and felt her cheeks burn, embarrassed, as she dutifully followed her mother and girlfriend. That was twice now. And they hadn't even been seated yet.

Henry followed the slouched form of his daughter, unable to say or do anything to ease the sting of Cora's words.

* * *

The four were seated at a table toward the back of the restaurant, in a semi private area. Cora and Henry were seated on one side of the rectangular surface with Regina and Mel on the other. It was silent as all four browsed their menus.

Just as they lowered their menus, a server stopped at the edge of the their table with a big, friendly smile on her face.

"Are you all ready to order?" she questioned happily. Henry and Regina nodded with kind smiles. Mel shrugged dismissively. Cora scowled at the girl.

"I'll have the grilled chicken breast, as will my husband." Cora closed her menu and thrust it into the server's arms.

"And you." The girl asked looking to Mel, her friendly demeanor unaffected.

"Same." the blonde said shortly.

The server nodded and looked expectantly at Regina. The brunette moved her menu so she and the server could see it clearly. But before she could do anything further her mother waved a hand at her signalling her to remain quiet while she spoke for her.

"She'll have the same as well."

The server turned her gaze back to Regina to confirm the order, and she merely gave a nod and slouched back in her chair. No use arguing. It wouldn't make the meal go by any faster.

The girl collected Regina's menu and left the four with a promise that their order would be out shortly.

They remained silent while Cora took a ladylike sip from her lemon water, waiting for the woman to start the conversation.

"Regina you mustn't slouch." She chided her daughter and was pleased when she immediately sat up straight in her seat. "So how is school?" the older woman questioned.

"Good. I have straight A's" Regina answered. She would have said more if she wasn't so concentrated on making sure every syllable came out perfectly. By the end of her short statement she was slightly breathless.

"Excellent. Have you finally come to your senses and changed your major?"

"No. Art is still my major." the younger brunette knew that one was going to come up. It always did. Her mother didn't think she could make a respectable career out of majoring in art, and would make it known any chance she was given. But that was one thing Regina never budged on. Art was her passion and she would not give that up for anyone. Not even her mother.

Cora tutted and shook her head in disappointment. "How do you plan to be successful in such a frivolous discipline?"

She was saved from giving an answer as her father spoke up. "Leave her be Cora. She will do great things in whatever field she chooses." He winked at his daughter.

Regina gave her father a half grin for defending her, but she knew her mother would just ignore any opinion that wasn't her own. And ignore it she did.

"I just want her to be successful." Cora argued. "She would do well to follow Melanie's example. A degree in law is practical and she would be in a position to take over the family business."

It took all of Regina's willpower not to roll her eyes and scoff. Who gave a crap if Mel was a law student? Not her. What did it get Mel? A boring job dealing with the biggest sharks out there. No thank you. Regina preferred to do as she pleased and not be trapped in one spot while she did it. And what was that bull about running the family business? It was no secret she wanted nothing to do with running her father's law firm. Her mother knew that, but always seemed to forget that little detail.

"And besides," Cora continued. "With her condition her options are going to be limited as it is."

Regina had half a mind to just leave the table. It wasn't like her mother would notice, what with the way she talked about her as if she wasn't sitting right in front of her. She was deaf not dumb and she really wished the people that were supposed to love her would stop treating her as such.

"I've tried to tell her, Mrs. Mills." Mel spoke up from behind her wine glass. "No one is going to hire a deaf artist."

"Hush Melanie." Henry snapped. He had no patience for the woman his daughter was dating even though Cora seemed to love the horrible woman. She had no place to speak on the matter.

Regina shot her father a grateful smile as she glared between her mother and girlfriend.

"Melanie has a point dear." Cora agreed with the blonde, completely ignoring her husband, looking only to her daughter. "I only want what's best for you, Regina." she patted her daughter's hand soothingly.

"I know." Regina deflated at her mother's words and leaned back in her chair.

"Good." Cora enthused. "Now that that's settled, Melanie dear how is your father?"

Regina couldn't help but shake her head at her mother, an act that thankfully went unnoticed by the distracted woman. Melanie's father was the founder and owner of Gold's Law Firm and Melanie was the sole heir. The firm was known for handling high profile cases all over the country with the highest success rates. If the two firms merged it would mean double the money they were making and even more notoriety. It was one of the reasons Cora overlooked the lesbian relationship and had practically set it up in the first place.

She zoned out when her mother started discussing business with Mel. It was all so boring to her.

* * *

Henry watched his daughter let out a bored sigh and knew exactly what would cheer her up in that moment. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened his pictures. He scrolled through the album until he found what he wanted. He slid the device over to Regina.

Regina met her father's gaze with a questioning tilt of her head.

"_Just look." _

The brunette did as she was told and picked up the phone. She was met with the image of her niece and nephew playing at what she knew was the park near Jefferson's apartment. Four year old Henry was chasing a three year old Grace. The two wore huge smiles and their cheeks were bright read from the autumn chill that had set in and childhood innocence. The picture brought a huge smile to her face and she looked back to her father.

"_When did you see them?"_

"_Last weekend. Jefferson couldn't find a sitter and I always love seeing my grandkids." _

Regina smiled once again and went back to the picture. She slid her thumb across the touch screen and found more photos of Grace and Henry. They were getting so big. Regina planned to make time to visit her brother in the next couple of weeks to see her two favorite kiddos. And her brother of course. She found a video amongst the images and made sure it was on silent before pressing play.

Grace came into view first and she smiled at the camera and waved a tiny hand.

"_Hi, Aunt Regina. I love you." _

Henry came next.

"_We really, really, really, really miss you. Please come visit us." _

Grace came running back into the frame, pushing Henry out of the way.

"_Pretty please."_

Tears brimmed Regina's eyes and a huge smile lit up her face. Henry took pride in the fact that he had been able to bring that reaction in his daughter. She'd always been one for the simple things in life, something he admired in his little girl.

The video ended and Regina played it again, just taking in the cuteness of the preschoolers. It always amazed her how well they could sign. She knew Jefferson had been teaching them since they were babies, but seeing the tiny hands move with such skill never failed to amaze her. Even she hadn't learned ASL until she started kindergarten.

She went to hit play again but was stopped by an elbow to the ribs. She growled and glared at Mel. The blonde only tilted her head towards Cora.

Big brown eyes trained on the cold ones of her mother. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a server making their way over to the table with a tray carrying their food. Regina waited for the inevitable reprimand from her mother.

"Put that away. It's rude."

"Sorry, Mother."

Regina handed the phone back to her father who gave her an apologetic look. She just shrugged. Her mother was such a hypocrite. What would she call what she'd been doing to her own daughter all night.

The plates were set in front of each person at the table and the four fell silent again.

Regina dug into her grilled chicken. Even if she didn't like it, the faster she finished her food the faster she could leave.

* * *

Finally after what seemed like forever to Regina, sitting through more of her mother and Mel insulting her and her father just watching silently they were leaving the restaurant. Her patience had reached the breaking point and she was liable to snap any minute if she didn't get away from her mother. She loved the woman, but there was only so much she could take. She practically ran back to the hotel's lobby.

Cora, Henry, and Mel caught up with her near the doors leading out of the building.

"This was lovely." Cora said clasping her hands together. "We'll have to do it again soon."

"That would be wonderful, Mrs. Mills." Mel said with a fake smile on her face. Regina could see straight through her girlfriend.

The brunette was choosing to stay silent, pretending she hadn't seen what they were saying.

"Goodbye, Regina." Cora said, kissing her daughter's cheeks before moving on to the blonde. "Goodbye, Melanie."

Regina just waved, she was done talking for the evening. And probably the next three days.

"_See you soon, kiddo." _Henry stepped forward and wrapped Regina in another bear hug.

"_Bye, Daddy." _Regina returned the hug with equal vigor.

When the two separated, Henry shot Mel a look.

"Melanie." He nodded his head stiffly, his words coming out in unmasked hostility.

"Mr. Mills."

Melanie ignored the glare as the old man walked away with his wife. She really didn't care if Regina's father liked her or not. It was clear who wore the pants in the Mills' relationship, and the one that did liked her. That's all that mattered. Her father wanted to make a deal with Cora and Cora wanted to make a deal with her father. She had no qualms about being the go between. Dating Regina was just icing on the cake.

"Come on."

The blonde grabbed hold of her girlfriend and lead her out of the building. She passed over the valet ticket and they waited for Mel's car to be brought around. Regina moved a few paces away from her Mel, not wanting to be manhandled again. She pulled out her phone out of her pocket.

She found an unopened message from Emma waiting for her. Regina couldn't remember her phone vibrating throughout dinner. Then again, she'd been near comatose after the food was delivered. She shrugged and opened the message.

**I'm back. Thought you might need some more cheering up. Enjoy these photos of me getting in trouble. **

Regina actually laughed as she flipped through the three pictures attached to the text. The first one was of Emma laughing. She was clearly moving, the image was slightly blurred. The next one was of the top of Emma's head and she could see a scruffy man behind the blonde head. Once again the image was blurry so Regina assumed this man was Emma's boss, and the blonde was running from him.

This realization made Regina laugh harder.

The last one was of Emma and the scruffy man. Emma was in the bottom corner with a huge shit eating grin on her face and her boss was looking down at her with a "not amused" look on his face.

The brunette was in stitches as she sent a text to Emma.

**How do you still have a job? **

**Well, hello to you to. August loves me :) How'd you like my pics?**

**I loved them. Thank you. I feel much better. **

**Good :)**

**You should get back to work. **

**Fine. Bye. Can't wait for tomorrow. **

Regina couldn't help but look forward to going skating with Emma. Of course, she hadn't been skating in years. Nothing could get any worse than the evening she'd just had. And spending time with Emma was always fun.

**Me neither. See you tomorrow. **

Snapping fingers entered her line of vision and Regina saw that Mel's car was waiting for them. She locked her phone and slipped it into her pocket before getting into the passenger seat of the Mercedes.

"I'm not taking you back tonight." Mel declared putting the car in drive, making sure Regina saw what she'd said.

"_Fine, but I'm sleeping on the couch." _She was no longer in the mood to accommodate anyone and chose to sign.

"Whatever." The blonde growled as she peeled onto the street.

Regina was in too good of a mood to care about Mel's petulance at the moment. The video of Henry and Grace paired with Emma's goofy pictures did that to her.

* * *

See, I told you, lots of stuff. I hope that wasn't too much. I wanted to establish Regina's relationship with her parents and set up a couple of later chapters. This kind of got away from me after I started writing it.

How'd I do with Cora and Henry? And Regina's other family members? I wanted to have little Henry in this and that was what I came up with. I like it and I hope you guys do to.

I promise everything will make sense the further we get into this.

Okay that's all. Let me know what you think.


	10. Chapter 10

Remember how I said the skating chapter would follow Cora's entrance? I lied. I had every intention of starting that chapter, until this little thing popped into my head. I had to go with it.

I pinkie promise skating is next. This is really just a filler, that's why it's so short, one to make up for that painful last chapter and two to give me more time to work on the skating stuff.

I also want to thank all you lovely readers for your reviews. You guys are awesome :)

Speaking of reviews. I want to answer one given from a guest. It raised a couple important questions that I feel need to be addressed.

To the guest review that starts with "I have two questions about Regina"

To answer your first question, the hint of backbone Regina displayed a few chapters back is only going to get stronger from here. I have been making Mel worse with every appearance she makes on purpose and the last chapter was the peak of that. Mel's not going to change, but Regina is going to start seeing that she doesn't have to put up with that. I'm trying to get it across that Regina is being complacent, not weak, when it comes to Mel because Cora approves of at least one thing in her life. And no Emma is not going to be able to swoop in and save her from that, that is going to have to be all Regina. It's a part of her character development in this. And personally I didn't like that last chapter very much either. As for your second question, I have the whole car thing sorted out in my head and I will address it coming up soon.

I hope that helps :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Chapter 10

"Emma!"

The blonde in question had seen August before he'd yelled her name, was prepared for his storming over to the bar. She quickly hopped up from her stool under the bar and grabbed a rag and started wiping down the bar, whistling the melody of "Call Me Maybe".

August stopped on the other side of the counter, not looking happy with the bartender.

"Can I help you?" She asked innocently.

"Hand it over." He demanded, holding his hand out expectantly.

Emma looked at the hand quizzically, playing dumb. "Hand what over, August?"

"The phone." He said impatiently. "I saw you."

The blonde feigned an appalled look. "August, you insult me. I've been working this whole time. Isn't that right M&M?"

The blonde looked to her best friend who was sitting a few seats away from where her boss was standing, stifling giggles behind her hand. The pixie of a woman nodded her head in confirmation.

August just let out a low growl and stomped off. Emma waited until he disappeared into the kitchen before bursting out laughing, as did Mary Margaret. The petite brunette bounced over the bar stools until she was resting in front of her friend.

"He's going to fire you. I hope you know that." Mary Margaret said as Emma threw the rag back under the counter.

"No he won't." She looked around before leaning closer to whisper conspiratorially to Mary Margaret. "He's got a crush on me."

"Well isn't someone full of themselves." the brunette laughed.

"It's true."

Mary Margaret just shook her head. "I hope he knows he's got no chance."

"Hey, I gotta keep my job somehow." Emma winked and moved down the counter to help a customer.

Mary Margaret chuckled and spun around on her stool to scan the bar. She and Kathryn had made plans to meet and go over their plan of action where their respective friends were concerned.

The bell above the door rang and the blonde she was looking for walked in. Mary Margaret waved and hopped off the stool to meet Kathryn by the door.

"Hey."

"Hi." Kathryn said smiling.

"I already grabbed us a table. Come on." Mary Margaret motioned for Kathryn to follow her to a booth with a reserved sign resting at the end. She'd made Emma put it there.

Kathryn sat down and waited for her companion to do the same, but the small woman stayed standing.

"Would you like something to drink." Mary Margaret asked politely "We might be here awhile." She laughed but was entirely serious at the same time.

"Just a diet Coke. Please."

Mary Margaret turned away from the booth and the second she looked up she was met with the inquisitive green eyes of her closest friend. She averted her gaze, looking anywhere but Emma's questioning eyes until she was standing directly in front of the woman.

"Two diet Cokes please Emma."

Emma didn't move to get the drinks, she just looked between her best friend and the woman who was seated at the table she'd been forced to put that stupid sign on, with no explanation.

She raised an eyebrow and regarded her friend. "Who's that?"

"What? I'm not allowed to have friends?" Mary Margaret questioned, jokingly.

"I thought I was your friend." Emma pouted, still not moving to get two simple diet sodas.

"You are," Emma smiled and Mary Margaret continued with a smirk. "But, a girl has to branch out. You're crazy is starting to rub off."

The blonde glared and the brunette just laughed. "I'm kidding, Emma. Now can I please have those Cokes?"

"I guess." Emma grumbled moving to fill two glasses.

She held the glasses out to Mary Margaret, but pulled them back before Mary Margaret could grab them.

"Does Ruby know about this little rendezvous?"

"Yes." Mary Margaret snatched the glasses and turned to walk away. "She trusts me. You should try it sometime."

"I know." her words came out defeated and Mary Margaret looked back to find her blonde friend staring down at her feet. She immediately regretted her words.

"I'm sorry, Em. I didn't mean it like that." she tried to reassure.

"I know." Emma glanced back up at her friend and gave her a small smile. "I'm trying."

"Good." Mary Margaret smiled back. "Now if you'll excuse me."

The brunette motioned her head in the direction of her waiting companion unable to hid her mischievous smirk.

"Have fun." Mary Margaret got halfway to the table until the look on her face registered with The blonde. Her pixie haired friend only ever got that look when she was planning something or trying to be sneaky, something the woman failed miserably at.

Emma called out to the retreating form of her friend. "What are you up to?"

Mary Margaret sent a sly smile over her shoulder. "You'll see."

With a parting wink she hurried back to the table.

* * *

Mary Margaret set one of the glasses down in front of Kathryn and took the seat opposite her in the booth.

"Thank you." Kathryn said with a small nod. She took a sip of her beverage and got down to business. "So what's Emma like?"

Regina and Emma may have been all adorable together at the library, but looks could be deceiving. She highly doubted it in this situation. She had to be sure that Regina wouldn't be hurt if she and Mary Margaret were successful in their matchmaking schemes.

There would be no Mel repeats. Not if she could help it.

She watched Mary Margaret affectionately roll her eyes before starting.

"Where do I start?" She took a moment to think, then continued. "She is pretty much just a big kid trapped in twenty year old's body."

As if to prove her point, a crash came from behind the bar and both women looked in the direction of the noise to find what was left of a pyramid of shot glasses and broken glass on the bar from where the top had fallen. Emma was brushing the glass shards into a rag in her hand.

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes while Kathryn tried to keep in a laugh.

"See what I mean?"

"Yes." Kathryn agreed and took another sip of her drink. "It's actually kind of sweet."

"It is. She's got such a big heart. People have always just taken advantage of it."

"What do you mean?"

Mary Margaret hesitated for a moment. She didn't want to betray Emma's confidence, especially since she had only just shared what had happened between her and Lacey with her. There were a lot of things not even Ruby knew about the blonde, so she kept her explanation vague. If Emma wanted to share her stories with Regina somewhere down the road, that was her choice.

"Emma has not had it easy at all. Anytime she has let somebody in, with a few exceptions, she has just been burned and let down; cast aside and heartbroken."

Kathryn glanced over to the blonde bartender who was back to stacking shot glasses, seeing her in a whole new light. The way Regina had talked about her and what she had seen of the woman at the library, she would have never guessed. It took an incredible amount of strength to be able to put a smile on ones face after facing the hardship Mary Margaret was alluding to. She had a new respect for Emma.

She focused back on Mary Margaret as the brunette continued.

"Emma has a hard time letting people in, but when she does she is fiercely loyal and protective. Almost to a fault. She's the best friend I've ever had." An affectionate smile spread across her face. "I was actually kind of shocked when she told me about Regina. I can't believe she just sat and talked with a perfect stranger for hours. That is not like Emma at all."

"I was too. Regina isn't the biggest people person. The language barrier is too much for some people." Ignorant people, she added in her head.

"Regina's deaf, right?"

Kathryn nodded, wondering what Mary Margaret's reaction would be.

"I was wondering why Emma was so set on learning sign language." An idea struck the fair skinned woman. "Maybe Emma could teach me. That way we could all communicate." She planned to meet Regina eventually and learning her language would make that meeting that much easier.

Kathryn let out a breath and gave the woman a wide smile. Why couldn't they meet more people like Emma and Mary Margaret? They were a rare breed.

"Does she know how much that meant to Regina?" Kathryn asked. She remembered her friend gushing over Emma's signing abilities when they'd gone back to their dorm the night before.

"I don't think so." Mary Margaret shook her head. "Emma's the type that would do anything for her friends. I'm sure in her mind it was the most logical thing to do."

"Well not many people are willing to do that."

"That's just the kind of person Emma is." Mary Margaret's face shone with pride. "She can be a big goof ball, but she is a genuinely good person."

"How long have you know each other?" Kathryn could tell the brunette's friendship with Emma ran deep.

"Going on six years." Mary Margaret said proudly. "We're basically sisters."

"That sounds like me and Regina." Kathryn said with fond smile.

"Tell me about her." the brunette urged, leaning on the cushioned back of the booth.

"She's had it tough, too. And still she is one of the kindest and gentlest people I know. She's just misunderstood." Like Mary Margaret, she would leave any details for Regina to divulge, if she chose to. "Being deaf in a hearing family didn't help with that either. She was like an outcast in her own home. She tries to live up to her mother's ridiculous standards at the expense of her own happiness."

"Does that have anything to do with her current girlfriend?" The brunette asked gently.

"How do you know about Regina's girlfriend?" Kathryn asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Emma mentioned she was dating someone." Mary Margaret quickly defended. "I just assumed living up to her mother's expectations would be present in all aspects of her life."

"Well you're right. The woman is a complete bitch. Regina does not deserve what that woman puts her through. She deserves to be happy. She just has to stop living under her mother's thumb."

"I see. Do you think she'd be able to?"

"I'm not sure." Kathryn admitted truthfully. "I think it would take the right person to show her that it's okay to be happy, without needing her mother's approval."

"I think Emma could do that. She has quite the stubborn determination."

They both looked over to the bar in time to see Emma throw her hands up in victory as she placed the last shot glass on top of her pyramid without the structure caving in on itself.

"So can Regina." Kathryn let a laugh escape her lips at the bartender's antics. "But the relationship she is in is just bringing her down. I don't like the side of her that bitch brings out. Regina is not weak willed. She just deals with it for the sake of her mother."

"That's no way to live." Mary Margaret commented sadly. She didn't envy Regina's situation one bit. She actually felt sorry for the woman. A mother's love was supposed to unconditional.

"You're telling me. I've known Regina a long time and it's always been this way."

"What's our game plan?"

Mary Margaret was eager to put their plan into action. It seemed both their friends were overdue for something good in their lives. Emma needed someone like Regina and Regina needed someone like Emma.

Emma never let other people dictate what she did or how she did it. She prided herself in being entirely independent; a free spirit. She could show Regina that she can't put aside her own happiness to please other people, no matter who it was.

Kathryn was equally eager to help the growing relationship between Regina and Emma along. It would do them both some good.

Regina had a rare kindness she wasn't afraid to share despite how society viewed her. She was willing to share that with anyone who gave her the chance. She could show Emma that letting people in didn't always end badly.

"They seem to be doing fine on their own for the time being. Their friendship is progressing nicely. I know Regina won't do anything further, at least until Mel is out of the picture. She wouldn't intentionally hurt someone, even if they deserve it."

Kathryn practically spat the name and the way she talked about this Mel woman. There had to be a lot of bad blood there, Mary Margaret concluded.

"That sounds good to me. What about if or when Mel is gone?" She questioned.

"I guess we'll just have to give them a nudge in the right direction." Kathryn smirked.

"But they can't know what we're doing."

"It'll be our secret."

Mary Margaret held her half empty glass up and Kathryn followed suit.

"To the greater good."

"To the greater good."

For their could be no good greater than helping a friend find what most took for granted.

Happiness.

True happiness.

* * *

So what do you think? Our little masterminds hard at work :) They're the two closest people to Emma and Regina and they want the best for their friends. And having them work together to help their friends get that.

Having the outside view of Regina and Emma is what I wanted to portray in this. I wanted you all to see how the people close to Emma and Regina see them.

I like how this turned out, and I had more planned out for the end but that felt like a good place to stop.

I hope you all like this. As always let me know what you think.

SKATING IS NEXT!


	11. Chapter 11

Phew, here it is, Chapter 11.

This little sucker is hella long. I know I promised fluffy skating scenes, and they are coming, this was just getting too long to cram everything into one. No lie it would have been a ten thousand plus word chapter. I like everything I put in this and I didn't want to have sacrifice any of it to include the actual skating. This basically includes everything leading up to them going to the rink, and they will enter the rink in Chapter 12. This is pretty fluffy though :)

I just wanted to make sure nothing was rushed.

Thank you to anyone who reviewed. I tried to respond to everyone, but if anyone fell through the cracks I apologize. I really love seeing what you guys think, so keep them coming :) Thank you also to anyone who followed or favorited :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

On with the show...

* * *

Chapter 11

Emma opened her eyes to find Ruby hovering over her from the foot of Mary Margaret's bed. She let out a high pitched yelp and pulled her comforter up to her face. In the same second she curled herself into the corner of her bed in an effort to get away from the offending brunette.

"What the hell, Ruby?" she asked once she found her voice after being scared half to death.

The red streaked brunette was howling with laughter as she rolled around on her girlfriend's bed. After a moment she collected herself and sat cross legged in the center of the twin sized mattress, smirking at Emma.

When the other woman wasn't forthcoming with an answer, the blonde continued her interrogation.

"Why are you here, being creepy?"

"Mary Margaret was helping me study for my psychology exam on Monday. At least she was. We couldn't think with all the snoring."

"I do not snore." Emma said indignantly.

"People were complaining." Ruby deadpanned. "Did you know you drool too?"

"No." she wiped defensively at the corners of her mouth, feeling the trail of her own saliva on her cheek.

"We thought you were going to drown."

"Ha ha ha. You're hilarious." Emma shot at her friend sarcastically, throwing her comforter aside and sliding out of her bed to stretch. "Where is M&M?'' she asked finally registering the absence of her roommate.

"She left a couple minutes ago to get lunch. She should be back soon." Ruby answered with a shrug, pulling her psych book back into her lap. Now that the blonde was awake and the snoring had stopped shaking the room, she could hear herself think.

"Cool." she scratched at her neck and looked over at her alarm clock to see it was almost, three in the afternoon. Five hours until she was supposed to pick Regina up for their skating outing.

She felt giddy just thinking about it.

Deciding to follow Ruby's example, Emma sat down at her desk and pulled her physics book and notebook out to get some homework done. She docked her iPod and turned the music down low and began the mental torture that came with opening her physics textbook.

At least she was being productive.

* * *

Mary Margaret balanced the plastic containers of the lunches she'd picked up in one hand while she unlocked the door to her and Emma's room with the other. Mentally congratulating herself for not dropping the food, the brunette entered the room.

The scene that met her eyes almost knocked her off her feet.

Ruby was sitting on her bed, where she'd left her, dutifully reading her textbook and taking notes. Emma was awake, shockingly, considering her friend could sleep literally all day after a shift at the Rabbit Hole, and scribbling away in her notebook, working through what she assumed were physics problems. Both women were absently bobbing their heads to the low beat coming from Emma's iPod speakers.

Mary Margaret quietly closed the door, unwilling to disturb this rare moment. On a good day, trying to get her girlfriend or best friend to do any type of school work was like pulling teeth. In fact there were times when she would have paid someone to put her out of her misery during a study session. The two overgrown children would flick whatever they could get their hands on at each other, which usually turned physical, which ended in Mary Margaret separating them and taking one or the other to another location.

No, she was going to leave them be. Maybe she could get some of her own work done that way.

She walked to Emma's desk first and silently set the neatly packaged grilled cheese and french fries at the blonde's elbow. Emma grunted her thanks and the brunette moved on to her girlfriend. She slid the slice of pizza and breadstick across the bed so it was in Ruby's line of sight whenever she chose to eat it. She'd excuse eating in her bed in exchange for this peaceful moment.

Relieved that her little lunch delivery didn't break either woman's concentration, Mary Margaret sank into her own desk chair and opened her childhood development book. With her tacos in her lap, she quickly settled in, knowing this calm little bubble wouldn't last forever.

* * *

Regina was going to go crazy.

She was sure of it.

She'd kept to her normal Saturday routine. Eight AM she woke up and went on a jog around campus. Once she returned to her room she showered and ate breakfast, before working on any homework she had from ten to whenever she finished the assignment or studying. She went out to get lunch and was now standing in an empty art studio staring a blank canvas that stood taller than her. Same studio time she tried reserve every Saturday. Three o'clock on the dot.

Nothing was different. Nothing had changed.

But it had.

She was five hours away from seeing Emma again.

It really shouldn't be that big of a deal to her. But it was and Regina could not figure out why. She told herself it was due to the newness of her friendship with the blonde that excited her. Emma never failed to bring a smile to her face, whether it be in the form of silly text messages or in person. Maybe she was just craving the light mood that seemed to follow Emma around after the evening she'd spent with her parents and girlfriend. Or it could be the prospect of actually going out to do something enjoyable. She couldn't remember the last time she went out to do something fun.

Whatever the reason was for the anxious feeling that she couldn't shake, no matter what she did, it couldn't be the thought in the back of her head, itching to be acknowledged.

Nope. She shook her head expelling, or at least trying to, any dangerous thoughts and focusing back on her canvas.

She wanted to do a larger than life piece, while challenging herself to make it personal. A 6 foot tall canvas that was five feet wide could do that.

Regina closed her eyes and thought about the one thing she wanted so desperately out of life.

You couldn't get any more personal than that.

An idea struck her and she just had to run with it.

It was perfect.

She got a palette ready and stepped up to the imposing canvas.

The brunette took a moment to fully visualize what she wanted to convey through the painting.

Seeing it in her mind, Regina picked up a brush and began.

* * *

"You got a hot date?"

"What?" Emma whipped her head around to look at Ruby. She had been in the middle of picking out her outfit for the night when the voice of her friend cut through her internal debate.

"You've been staring at those pants for ten minutes. I've only seen you do that before a date." Ruby reasoned from her seat snuggled up with Mary Margaret, a laptop sitting on their outstretched legs. "Where are you going? And more importantly, who are you going with?"

The blonde scoffed at her friend before deciding on a pair of khaki capris and a light blue button up shirt. "First of all it's not a date. I'm just going skating with Regina."

Mary Margaret's head sprang up from where it had been resting on her girlfriend's shoulder. The sudden movement jostled the laptop and Ruby had to grab it before it hit the floor. The red streaked brunette eyed her girlfriend, confused.

"You're going out with Regina?" she squeaked, barely keeping her excitement at bay. How had she and Kathryn not known about this?

"Yes." Emma drawled, suddenly suspicious of her friend's over eager behavior. "Why?"

Mary Margaret tried, and failed, to appear nonchalant as shrugged and laid her head back on Ruby's shoulder. "No reason."

"Why do I feel like you're lying?"

"Because you think you have a superpower. Maybe you should lay off all the Marvel movies for a while." Mary Margaret countered, her voice higher than usual.

"I'm so lost." Ruby muttered to herself.

The blonde narrowed her eyes at her friends. Mary Margaret was trying too hard to look casual and Ruby looked as confused as she felt about what just went down. She just shook her head. They were so weird sometimes.

Emma disappeared into the bathroom to shower and change.

* * *

What does one wear to go roller skating?

Regina pondered this question as she eyed her wardrobe. She had been standing there, in front of her closet, in her still paint stained t-shirt and yoga pants for almost twenty minutes.

The last time she'd been roller skating was when she was nine. It was for a friend of her mothers' kid who was about her age. Her mother had made her wear a dress. She had fallen and ripped the hem in the first five minutes of the party. She could still remember having to sit at her mother's side for the rest of the party as a punishment while all the other kids got to have fun.

She let that thought evaporate. It was just one of the things that came with being raised by Cora Mills.

A hand on her shoulder alerted her to Kathryn's presence. She turned her brown eyes on her friend and gave the other woman a smile.

"_Whatcha doing?" _The blonde asked.

"_I'm trying to pick out something to wear." _Regina went back to flipping through her expansive collection of garments.

Kathryn tilted her head in confusion.

"_Where are you going?" _

"_Emma asked me to go skating with her." _Regina replied with a dismissive wave as though it was no big deal.

If she told herself that enough maybe her brain would start believing it.

"_You're going out with Emma?" _Kathryn tried to keep the excited look off her face. Regina was way too good at picking up those kinds of things, especially since they were so close. She schooled her features and focused back on her friend. Did Mary Margaret know about Regina and Emma's little outing?

"_Yes." _The brunette made a nodding motion with her closed fist as she plucked a pair of pants from a hanger, followed shortly by a simple white t-shirt. _"Why, are you jealous?" _she asked with a smirk.

"_Now that you mention it yeah, I think I am." _Kathryn playfully pushed Regina by the shoulder. _"You're abandoning me."_

"_You're being dramatic." _

"_Fine." _Kathryn started backing out of her friend's room. _"Leave me here all by myself."_

"_I plan to."_ Regina chuckles and lays her outfit over her bed, careful not to get any wet paint on the clean clothes.

Kathryn feigned a blow to the heart and both women laughed before the blonde left the room leaving her friend to get ready for the evening.

Regina grabbed her robe and entered the bathroom to shower off the mess she'd made all over her clothes with paint.

* * *

"You look nice." Mary Margaret commented as Emma emerged from the bathroom in her capris and blue button up. She had the sleeves of the shirt rolled up to her elbows and only four buttons done up, leaving her darker blue tank top exposed down to her sternum. She'd blow dried and brushed her golden locks, leaving them to cascade freely over her shoulders.

"Thanks." Emma blushed slightly at the look Mary Margaret was sending her. She ducked her head and slid on a pair of flip flops. The weather was rapidly cooling the closer the they got to October and Emma planned to enjoy the warm weather while it lasted. She made sure to stuff a pair of thick socks into her small duffle bag that held her skates. She used to go almost every weekend throughout middle and high school and by her senior year she'd saved up enough money to buy her own skates.

They were pretty cool too if she said so herself. Black, with blue flames and blue wheels.

Emma double checked to make sure she had her wallet, keys, and cellphone. Finding all three on her person she pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder and turned back to Mary Margaret and Ruby who was half asleep. Studying could wear a girl out.

"I'll be back around one," the blonde told her roommate. "Don't wait up."

"I won't. Have fun." Mary Margaret said, her voice still higher than usual.

"I will. See ya."

Emma waved to her friend and left the room. She checked the time on her phone as she walked down the hall to the elevator.

Ten till eight.

She was actually going to be early. She patted herself on the back for that one.

The blonde made it all the way out the front door of the dorm building before she realized she was missing one important piece of information.

She slapped a hand to her forehead and pulled out her phone.

* * *

Regina was standing in the bathroom, putting the finishing touches on her hair, two short braids at the front of her hair while the rest flowed down to the middle of her back in gentle waves. Her phone started flashing from the sink.

She smiled when she saw a new message from Emma.

**Hi. I just realized something. **

**And what would that be?**

**I have no idea where you live. **

Oh. Duh. Regina hadn't thought of that either. She was too caught up in actually going to spend time with Emma that that little detail had slipped her mind entirely. Oops.

**I live in the Carter building. I'll meet you at the front doors in five minutes. **

**Okay :) See you soon. **

**See ya. **

The brunette took a moment to look over herself in the mirror. All traces of paint were gone from her skin and hair, replaced by a minimal amount of make up. She took a deep breath and flattened down the already wrinkle free white shirt and jeans. With one last look at herself, she grabbed her phone from where she'd set it back down on the sink to fix her clothes.

Regina flicked the light off in the bathroom as she entered the living room to find Kathryn sprawled out on the couch, eyes glued to the TV.

"Bye, Kat."

Kathryn focused on her friend and gave her a smile. "Have fun. See you later."

The brunette shook her head as Kathryn went back to watching the House episodes she had on DVD like it was the first time she was seeing them. She pulled her satchel over her shoulder and slipped out of the room.

* * *

Mary Margaret was startled out of the stupor she'd fallen into while staring at her laptop screen where the fifth Harry Potter movie was playing, by the sound of her phone ringing from where it was plugged in and resting on her desk. She reached over and pulled the device from the charger, her sudden movement causing Ruby to grumble at her sleepily and roll over so that her back was facing away from her girlfriend.

The petite woman rolled her eyes at Ruby's dramatics. She found it hard to believe that a day of studying had done this to her hyperactive girlfriend. But then again she really wasn't.

She unlocked her phone and found a text message from Kathryn.

**Did you know they were going out together?**

**No. Did you?**

**No. They are making this way too easy :)**

**I know right. We must interrogate them tomorrow. **

**Definitely. We'll report back on Monday and go from there. **

**Sounds like a plan :)**

**Have a good night. **

**You too. **

The brunette set her phone aside once more and sighed to herself. They hadn't even started the nudging in the right direction and already Regina and Emma couldn't seem to stay away from each other.

Maybe she and Kathryn wouldn't be necessary after all.

* * *

Emma walked the short distance to the Carter building, practically skipping all the way there. She'd tried to keep her excitement about the evening to come at bay all day, unable to shake the feeling that Regina might cancel on her. But now that she was on her way to meet the brunette she couldn't help the giddy feeling bubbling up in her chest.

She rounded the corner of the building and smiled when she saw Regina walking down the stairs looking around, no doubt looking for her.

Emma's smile grew wider, seeing Regina's big brown eyes scanning the surrounding area, and sped up to meet her at the bottom of the stairs.

Regina saw something moving in her peripheral vision and turned to find Emma speeding in her direction. She grinned at the silly smile on the blonde's face and waited bottom of the stairs for her friend to join her.

"_Hi." _Regina gave a small wave that Emma returned.

"_Hi yourself. Are you ready?"_ Emma responded. Once she'd gotten bored with trying to make herself learn physics, she'd pulled out her sign language books and spent a few hours learning new signs and improving on the ones she already knew. She was getting better and was very proud of herself.

Regina noticed that Emma was greatly improving in her signing abilities. She was still fingerspeling most of her words, but the letters were coming faster and more precise. The brunette was absolutely flattered by the effort Emma was putting into learning ASL.

And all for her.

That thought brought a shy smile to her face. Regina wasn't used to people going out of their way for her.

"_Yes."_

"_Let's go." _

"_Lead the way." _Regina prompted and motioned for her companion to do just that.

Emma started down the path to the parking lots with a slight skip in her step. Regina couldn't help but giggle at this as she fell into step beside the blonde. Emma heard the cute little noise come from the brunette and turned her head to narrow her green eyes playfully at the other woman.

"_What's so funny?"_

"_You are." _Regina told her, her brown eyes serious. _"You're skipping." _She pointed out.

Emma gasped dramatically and looked down at her feet before meeting Regina's gaze again.

"_I guess I am." _ The blonde simply shrugged and skipped on enthusiastically.

Regina smiled to herself and picked up her pace to keep up with the goofball.

Said big goofball waited until Regina was next to her again before she addressed her.

"_It's what happy people do." _

"_And what are you so happy about?"_

"_I love skating." _Emma's smile turned into a teasing smirk. _"You're not so bad to hang out with either." _

Regina shoved Emma by her arm, causing the other woman to stumble mid skip, and feigned offense.

"_Not so bad?" _ The brunette questioned with raised eyebrows.

Emma pretended to think about the olive skinned woman's question for a moment. When Regina pushed her again she chuckled before finally answering.

"_Fine. I guess you're pretty awesome." _ A blush started making it's way across fair cheeks and the blonde averted her eyes, somewhat embarrassed.

Regina blushed too, at the compliment, but recovered quickly.

"_You're pretty awesome, too. Even if you are a big goofball." _The brunette slowed down her hands so the blonde got the whole message.

"_Thank you." _Emma gave her a big goofy grin in response.

Regina shook her head with a smile on her face as Emma continued to skip through the parking lot. They stopped at an old, beat up, yellow bug. Emma bowed deeply and gave Regina a crooked grin as she straightened up.

"_Your chariot awaits."_

The brunette grimaced at the vehicle as Emma pulled out her keys to unlock the passenger door. Green eyes looked back at her in confusion as she made no move to enter the car.

"_Is it safe?" _Regina was not a snob, despite being raised in an extremely well off family, but there were some things she was particular about. Cars were one of those things. And to be honest Emma's bug looked like a death trap on wheels.

"_Yes, she is perfectly safe." _Emma assured her holding the door open for the brunette.

"_She?"_

"_Of course." _The blonde nodded with a smirk and was motioning Regina into the car, Vanna White style.

Regina still looked hesitant but eventually relented and slid into the tan leather seat. Emma closed her door and the brunette watched her friend run around to the driver's side through the windshield. Emma got in, tossed the duffle bag she was carrying into the back seat, and put the keys in the ignition and started her up.

The car started with ease, she hadn't felt the engine sputter at all, and Regina relaxed in her seat.

Emma looked over when she heard the relieved sigh escape her friend. Everyone was a comedian when it came to her car. She didn't care, the yellow vehicle was her baby. She'd bought it all by herself and was damn proud of that.

"_Buckle up." _

Regina didn't have to be told twice as Emma backed out of the parking spot and sped toward the road.

* * *

They rode in silence as Emma neared downtown Storybrooke. There were plenty of places they could stop for something quick to eat and the skating rink was only a few minutes from the center of town. She reached over and tapped Regina's thigh to get her attention.

With both hands occupied, one on the wheel and one on the gear shift, Emma turned her head slightly so the other woman could read her lips.

"_Where would you like to eat?" _

Regina thought for a moment. She was starving and was craving pizza after choking down the grilled chicken from the previous night. She'd earned a little junk food with that one. There was an amazing Italian restaurant in town that she and Kathryn had frequented often in the last three years.

"_Tony's." _She finally answered looking around, they had just entered downtown Storybrooke. _"Make a left at the next stoplight."_

"I love Tony's. They have the best lasagna ever." Emma enthused, her stomach growling at the thought of the saucy, cheesy goodness.

"_You should try the lasagna I make then. Way better." _

Yes, Regina knew she was bragging. She was a kickass cook and was not afraid to boast about that particular skill. It was something she and her father did together when she was little. Something her mother never approved of, but they did it anyway.

Emma raised her eyebrows. "Is that so?"

"_Absolutely. No one's said otherwise." _Her two taste testers were preschoolers, the most notorious picky eaters out there, and never once have they deemed any of her food yucky. That was a win in her mind.

"I might just take you up on that."

The brunette smiled, hoping that that would be sooner rather than later. She'd need to borrow her brother's kitchen. And offering him a free, home cooked meal would be enough for him.

"_Just tell me when." _

Emma took her eyes off the road to lock her green eyes on brown. "I will."

Regina felt a fluttering in her stomach at the intensity in Emma's emerald eyes. She looked away quickly, choosing to ignore the feeling. She pushed the dangerous thoughts that tried to break the mental box she'd locked them, back where they belonged.

Emma was her friend. Period.

The blonde parked the Bug in front of Tony's and turned the car off. She jumped out of the car and rushed around to the passenger's side so fast Regina barely had time to unbuckle her seatbelt before Emma had her door open for her.

The brunette blushed as she stood from the vehicle, not used to such treatment.

"_Thank you." _

"_It was my pleasure." _

They walked up to the entrance and Emma hurried ahead to hold the door for the brunette.

Regina thanked her again, thinking she could get used to Emma the gentlewoman and wished her girlfriend would do things like this every once in a while. But she knew Mel was more take than give.

That got her thinking. Twenty minutes with Emma was better than her entire first date with her girlfriend.

She shook the thoughts from her head. Hanging out with Emma was different, yes, but Mel had a few decent traits.

At least that's what she told herself.

The pair stopped at the end of the line at the counter. The place was busy, but not overcrowded. They could order their food and find a place to sit easily. The line moved forward slowly and both women scanned the menu.

Emma found what she wanted and gave a decisive nod to herself. She looked over to Regina and saw that her eyes were still roaming the menu boards.

She let her eyes travel over the tanned woman. There was no denying that Regina was beautiful. From her long dark brown hair and big chocolatey eyes to her personality and sense of humor. Everything about her was just amazing and Emma couldn't wrap her mind around how someone so awesome could end up with someone so not.

The blonde sensed there was a story there. How could there not be? She hoped Regina would eventually trust her enough to share that story.

A hand being waved in front of her face snapped Emma out of her thoughts.

Regina was giving her a concerned look. _"Are you alright?"_

"_Yeah, I'm fine." _

The brunette eyed her for a moment longer, not convinced, before stepping up to the counter. It was their turn.

The cashier recognized both woman, they were regulars from the university, but she had never seen them there together. Interesting, she thought quickly and then got down to business. She handed Regina one of the paper menus they taped to the takeout orders and a pen. She waited for the brunette to circle her order.

Regina smiled at the familiar employee and handed the menu back. The cashier rang up her order, a slice of Hawaiian pizza, a Dr. Pepper, and a cannoli. The brunette stepped aside to let Emma order.

"I'll have the lasagna and breadstick, with a Coke and a cannoli."

"Is that all for you two?"

Regina nodded and looked at the total on the rectangular screen while reaching to pull her wallet from her satchel. A hand on her own stopped her and she looked up to find Emma shaking her head at her.

"_I asked you to come. I'm paying." _Emma told her with finality and pulled a few bills from her own wallet.

The brunette just shook her head in return and nudged Emma to the side.

"_You asked me to go skating. This isn't skating. I'm paying." _

The blonde lifted her hands to respond, but just let them fall to the sides while Regina handed over her credit card. She had a point.

The cashier accepted the credit card with a smirk. She had no idea what they'd just said to each other, but it was clear that the pair had been bickering like an old married couple. She handed the brunette her card back and wondered just how long the two had been together.

Emma took the plastic triangle with their order number on it and followed Regina, who had their drinks, to find a table.

Regina sat down in a booth tucked into the corner near the door and Emma claimed the seat opposite her. The brunette slid her friend's Coke to her and Emma nodded in thanks. They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, idly sipping their drinks and people watching.

Emma was the one that finally broke the silence.

"_How was dinner with your parents?" _

The blonde knew Regina hadn't been looking forward to it and Emma wondered if it really had been as bad as she'd made it out to be.

The brunette rolled her eyes and let a out a frustrated breath.

"_Horrible. Like always." _

"_Your parents can't be that bad."_ At least you have parents, Emma thought to herself.

"_My mother can be." _Regina huffed. _"Nothing I do is good enough for her."_

The blonde saw sadness cloud those vibrant brown eyes for a moment before clearing. Emma was all too familiar with the feeling of not being good enough for other people and it hurt. But she'd learned that you couldn't live your life for other people. It seemed like Regina hadn't learned that lesson yet.

Maybe Emma could help her with that.

For now though she steered the conversation away from the brunette's mother.

She did not like the pain she'd seen in her friend's eyes at all.

"_What about your dad? What's he like?"_

Regina smiled at the mention of her father and Emma decided she wanted to keep that smile on her face. Always.

"_He's great. Nothing like my mother. It was nice to see him."_

Mother, sore subject. Father, instant smile. Emma filed that information away for later.

"_Okay, what about siblings? Any brothers or sisters?" _

In her experience, Emma had found that talking about someone's family was an effective conversation starter, even if it made her own chest hurt in the process. The megawatt smile on Regina's face was way worth it.

"_I have an older brother. Jefferson. He's the best. And I have a niece and nephew. Henry and Grace."_

Emma could tell those three were her favorite part of her family based on the excitement dancing around in her brown eyes. The blonde felt a pang of jealousy. She'd been given so little time to feel the kind of love only a family could give. A sisterly bond had grown between herself and Mary Margaret, but that had taken time. The kind of love, the seamless, unconditional love of a parent or sibling, she'd missed out on could never be replicated. It was clear to her that Regina loved her family. It was just hard not to remember experiencing it for herself.

"_Do you want to see a picture?" _Regina asked already reaching for her phone. She was proud to be Aunt Regina and always seized any opportunity to show off her two pint sized loves.

Emma nodded, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. She watched Regina flip through her phone for a minute before she held it out to her.

A pale hand accepted the device and a smile spread across her face as she took in the image of Regina's niece and nephew standing side by side in swimsuits, with big toothy smiles on their young faces. Henry had a mop of dark brown hair and brown eyes and the cutest dimples Emma had ever seen. Grace was a head shorter than her brother with identical brown eyes that Emma assumed ran in the family. Her hair was light brown, almost blonde, and fell in long ringlets around her chubby face. She too shared Henry's dimpled smile.

She looked back up to her friend. _"They're adorable. How old are they?"_

"_Henry just turned four and Grace will be three in November." _

A tanned finger swiped across the screen and Emma laughed out loud at the picture she was met with. She assumed Regina's brother had been holding the phone to capture the moment.

Regina was sitting in the middle of a kiddie pool, she was ignoring the fact that the brunette was in a bikini, and Henry had a big bucket of water tipped over her head. Little Grace was in her lap, clutching a rubber Nemo toy to her chest while Regina tried shielding her niece from Henry's attack. All three are laughing and Emma can't help but envy the happy family moment.

Regina saw a hint of pain swimming in Emma's eyes and tears filling those pretty green orbs. There was a smile on the blonde's face, but Regina could tell it was forced. She wondered what was on Emma's mind.

Emma handed the phone back to Regina and took a moment to collect herself. Brown eyes were giving her that concerned look again and she didn't want to ruin in the night with her sad tale. She put on another smile and met Regina's gaze once more.

"_They're lucky to have you." _

"_I'm pretty sure it's the other way around." _Regina told her with a chuckle and replaced her phone in the pocket of her satchel. _"Tell me about your family." _

Emma was sure she had that deer caught in headlights look on her face right about now. It was an innocent enough request. She'd been asking Regina about her family, it only made sense to the flow of the conversation for the brunette to inquire about hers.

But Emma didn't have any family. Not anymore. Death always made people uncomfortable and they never really knew what to say or do. The whole conversation would just end up being awkward from that point and Emma didn't want that to happen tonight.

How else would Regina, a woman who had her entire family, good and bad, respond when Emma told her her parents died when she was five and she had been in the foster care system until she was fifteen and ran away? What would she say when Emma told her she had been homeless for a whole year until she met Mary Margaret whose parents, out of the goodness of their hearts, gave her a place to live when she had nowhere else to go?

Pity was the reaction most people had when they found out about Emma's less than ideal childhood. But she didn't want pity. She'd learned that bad things happened and there was nothing you could do about it. It was just a part of life. What mattered was how you handled the bad things life threw your way. Emma had survived when all the odds were against her and she was a stronger person for it.

So no, Emma didn't want to be pitied. And she especially didn't want Regina to pity her, just like Regina doesn't want Emma to pity her.

She was saved from giving an answer as a server approached their table with their food.

Regina watched as her blonde companion moved her drink aside a little too enthusiastically to be authentic. She'd seen the emotions play out on Emma's face when she'd asked about her family. Clearly it was something that made the other woman uncomfortable and caused a her a great deal of pain.

She would drop it for now. If Emma wanted to tell her, she would tell her when she was ready. Until then, Regina would give her her space.

Regina smiled and nodded to the server as her plate was set in front of her. She met Emma's green eyes, happy to see the pain there had all but dissipated, and gave her a wide grin, hoping it would lighten her mood.

It worked and Emma gave her a smile that finally reached her eyes.

"_Dig in."_

* * *

How was it? We got a little more of Emma's back story in this one. Do you all see what I'm doing with the contrast of basically everything in this? Is it working?

Do you guys remember how I said I just start typing and let the characters do what they please? That happened with this. Seriously. I didn't have anything planned for little Henry and Grace until Halloween (btw I have that chapter planned in my head and it's gonna be awesome), but there they were in all their adorableness.

The besties are at it again :)

Macism alert: I had Regina show off her niece and nephew. I am so guilty of this. My youngest sister is two and she's just so cute I just have to show her off. My brother too, he's five. They are so bad, but it's so cute :)

Anyways, skating is 100 percent, no room to put anything else in between, going to be in chapter 12. (I even went skating myself on Saturday. All in the name of good, realistic writing. I got leveled by a ten year old, it can't get anymore real than that).

Let me know what you think. Reviews make me smile :)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12. Here it is.

I kind of meant to have this posted on Wednesday. Oops. The delay wasn't even because I got stuck this time. I had back to back to back softball games this week and no time to write. That might actually start happening more often, at least until the season is over. Just an FYI. (OMG I found out my softball coach watches Rizzoli and Isles. The people I ask never even know what that show is, so that was big for me.)

As always thanks to anyone who reviewed, followed or added this to their favorites. You guys are awesome :)

This is the longest chapter yet. Over six thousand words before my ridiculous author's notes.

As promised, this covers them actually skating. I freaking love this chapter so I hope you guys do too. (I even went skating myself before I wrote this)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

On with the show...

* * *

Chapter 12

It was nearly nine o'clock when Regina and Emma finished their meals. They'd kept the topics of conversation light while they ate. Mostly talking about classes, and their respective best friends. Emma talked about work and Regina mentioned some of the projects she was working on.

Nothing too heavy.

Emma took one last sip from her Coke and leaned into the back of the booth.

"_I'm so full." _She rubbed a hand over her stomach for emphasis.

Regina swirled the ice around in her glass and quirked an eyebrow at her companion.

"_Too full for skating?" _The brunette could feel her nerves building as the clock ticked closer to nine. She didn't want to make a fool of herself, but she didn't want to back out either.

The blonde shot straight up in her seat and shook her head vehemently. _"Never. Are you ready?" _She asked expectantly.

Regina took a deep breath to calm her nerves. After a moment she nodded slowly and Emma grinned at her.

"_Come on." _

The blonde was out of her seat before Regina could blink and had her pale hand wrapped around a tan one of her own. Emma tugged her out of her seat and eagerly pulled her toward the door with a goofy grin firmly in place.

As the made their way out of the restaurant Regina couldn't help but compare Emma's action to one Mel did all the time. The hand grasped around her own was gentle and loose, leaving room for Regina to pull away if she so pleased. Unlike the tight, clawed grip she found her wrist in, more often than not. Where a scowl would sit on the face of her girlfriend and her blue eyes would be cold and hard, Emma still sported that lopsided grin she had become used to seeing on her friend and green eyes were warm and filled with mirth.

This was how you were supposed treat someone you cared about.

The brunette pulled her hand away as they reached the Bug, fighting the fluttering in her stomach once again.

Friends. Emma was her friend. She repeated as she sat in the tanned leather seat and waited for Emma to join her in the vehicle.

Hanging out with Emma should be no different than if she were hanging out with Kathryn.

But it was different.

That was the problem.

* * *

Emma parked the bug in the half full parking lot of Storybrooke Roller Skating Rink. Regina looked around, somewhat relieved to see the parking lot wasn't full.

Good, she thought. Less people to see her fall on her ass.

The blonde reached into the back seat to retrieve her duffle bag before looking over to see her brunette companion eying the building. She almost laughed at the wide brown eyes and the way Regina was biting down on her lip nervously. But she held it in. Clearly, Regina was anxious about skating, and honestly the blonde was slightly nervous as well. This whole thing was about impressing Regina. She didn't want to mess that up by falling on her ass, something that was more likely to happen than not.

So she held it in and reached over to cover an olive hand with a pale one of her own.

Regina looked over to meet Emma's soothing emerald orbs.

"You okay?" she asked, keeping her hand where it was even after she had the brunette's attention.

Regina, unwilling to part with the comforting warmth of the hand on top of hers, nodded and fingerspelled her answer.

"_I haven't been skating in almost thirteen years. I don't want to fall." _

Emma gave the hand in hers a reassuring squeeze and grinned.

"It'll be fun. I promise." The brunette didn't look convinced. Emma thought for a second and smirked at the idea that struck her. "How about I make you a deal?"

Regina raised an eyebrow at the smirk on her friend's face but was curious.

"_What kind of deal?" _

"If you fall, I fall." Emma told her with a decisive nod.

"_Like you jump, I jump?" _

The blonde let out a laugh. "And you said I watch too much TV?"

"_You do." _The brunette joined in with a laugh of her own.

Once they settled back down, Emma pulled her hand away from Regina's, to her disappointment and held it out for the brunette to shake.

"Do we have a deal?" she asked raising her eyebrows.

Now with both hands free, though she was ignoring the sense of loss brought by the absence of the Emma's pale hand, responded in actual signs.

"_Then we'll both look like fools." _

"That's the point. Mutual embarrassment is better than being embarrassed by yourself."

Regina's gaze shifted between the hand being offered to her and the green eyes silently coaxing her to shake. After another moment of thought she shook Emma's hand sealing the deal.

"_Awesome." _Emma went back to signing. _"Fun awaits."_

"_I'm ready." _

A goofy grin lit up the blonde's face as she threw her door open and bounced out of the car. Regina copied her movements, less enthusiastically, and met her at the yellow vehicle. The two walked side by side to the double doored entrance to the rink.

Here we go. They both thought simultaneously, stopping at the end of the short line at the door.

* * *

Regina rolled her eyes as Emma gave her a pointed look while paying the man behind the little Plexiglas window. She held out her hand for the man to stamp it and followed the blonde through the second set of double doors that lead into the actual rink.

Emma held the black metal door open for her and Regina nodded her thanks. She followed the blonde to the long counter to the right where skate rentals were picked up, taking everything in. She could feel the bass from the music under her feet with every step. The polished wooden oval shaped floor that made up the rink was straight ahead. Skaters zipped past, some going forward, some going backward, all at alarming speeds.

The brunette gulped, intimidated by the fast pace set by the skilled skaters. Noticing that she had fallen behind she hurried to catch up with Emma. The blonde was leaning on the counter, waiting for the employee taking shoe sizes to make her way to them. Regina stopped next to her friend and patiently waited as well.

"What size?" The woman asked, finally reaching them, looking between the two women, snapping her gum obnoxiously.

Regina held up eight fingers and the employee sighed and moved away to retrieve the right size. She slapped the tan booted, orange wheeled skates in front of the brunette. Regina, maintaining a polite attitude, grabbed the skates and gave a short nod and quick smile to the woman before she and Emma moved away from the counter.

They found an empty bench near the barrier that separated the skating floor from the rest of the place. and sat down. Regina watched Emma unzip her bag and pull out her own skates and a pair of socks. Brown eyes took in the blue wheels and flames on the blondes skates and shifted back to the plain pair sitting at her feet. She envied the cool design. If Emma fell she would fall in style.

Emma turned her head to see that Regina hadn't moved to put on her skate. Instead she found her eyeballing her skates. She smirked and nudged a jean clad knee with her elbow.

"_Those aren't going to put themselves on." _The blonde teased, tilting her head towards the skates still sitting at the brunettes feet.

Regina made a face and took off her black ballet flats and took her own pair of socks out of her satchel. She slid the blue striped socks on her feet and glanced over to see Emma doing the same, only her sock were mismatched. The brunette giggled at the neon green sock with hot pink stripes adorned one foot and with left printed over and over in vibrant colors adorned the other.

Of course Emma wore mismatched socks. The ironic thing was that the left sock was actually on her right foot.

Emma snapped her head in the direction of the giggle. Regina tried to school her features, but ended up letting out another giggle at the mock glare Emma was sending her.

"_Are you laughing at my socks?" _

"_Yes." _Regina admitted with a grin.

The blonde looked down at her own feet and wiggled her toes and shrugged, meet brown eyes again.

"_Life's too short to wear matching socks." _She signed with a serious look in her eyes. Regina suspected there was a deeper meaning behind Emma's words, but she decided to just let that be for now.

"_I'll keep that in mind." _

They shared another smile before leaning over to pull on their skates and lace them up. Emma finished first and stood up. She moved her feet back and forth a couple of times. It had been a while since she'd gone skating and wanted to get a feel for being on wheels again. She waited for Regina finish tying her skate. When brown eyes met her green ones she grinned and offered her hand to her sitting friend.

"Ready?"

Regina let out a determined breath and nodded, grabbing hold of Emma's hand and allowed the blonde to pull her to her feet. She wobbled a little bit, not used to the feeling of wheels under her feet. She squeezed the pale hand as Emma helped her find her balance.

"Good?" Emma questioned.

The olive toned woman nodded and looked down at her feet, daring the skates to throw her off balance again.

Emma couldn't help but chuckled at Regina's adorableness.

"_Wait right here. I'll be right back." _

Regina opened up her mouth to protest as the pale woman removed her hand from her vice like grip to gather up her duffle bag, her discarded satchel, and their shoes. Emma skated away with their belongings to the back wall that consisted mostly of lockers. Regina could feel herself start to lose her balance again. She quickly reached out to clutch the carpeted barrier.

They hadn't even started skating for real yet and she couldn't even stand up by herself.

This was going to be a disaster. At least she had Emma there to help her laugh it off.

Emma skated back up to her, moving effortlessly on the wheeled shoes. She stopped a several feet short of the brunette and beckoned her forward.

Regina shook her head and placed her other hand on the barrier with the other. She wasn't going anywhere.

Placing her hands on her hips, Emma stared down the other woman. She crooked a finger at the brown eyed woman. Regina refused to move.

"_Come on it's like three feet."_

Another head shake.

"_Are you just going to stand there all night?"_

A shrug. _"Maybe."_

Emma crossed her arms across her chest and smirked.

"_I didn't take you for a quitter." _She gave a casual shrug. _"Oh well."_

She turned to head for the entrance of the hardwood floor, casting looks over her shoulder as she went.

The blonde didn't make it two feet before she saw Regina raise her hand, reaching in her direction. Emma smirked before giving her friend her full attention.

"_I am no quitter." _ Regina told her with a look that said, she meant business.

"_Prove it." _the blonde challenged with a smirk.

Regina squared her shoulders and pulled her hands away from the barrier. She wobbled a little, but remained on her feet, her hands held away from her body to help keep her balance. Tentatively she moved one foot forward. When she remained steady on her feet and upright she rolled the other one forward.

The brunette continued her sluglike pace, scooting over to Emma, with her tongue between her teeth in complete concentration.

Emma watched with a half smile on her face. Regina was too cute.

Regina only looked up from her feet when she saw the blue wheels of Emma's skates enter her line of vision. The blonde took in the pride shining in the chocolaty eyes and beaming smile being sent her way and felt her heart skip a beat.

Emma clapped her hands together as the brunette stopped in front of her. Regina ducked her head shyly and blush raced across her tanned cheeks. She was proud she'd managed to stay on her feet while crossing the short distance to the other woman, but in the back of her head something was telling her the accomplishment was childish.

But those thoughts went out the door when Emma smiled at her.

"_Good job." _She praised. _"Ready for the real thing?"_

The brunette shot a nervous glance over to the rink and the skaters speeding around the rink. She didn't have time to consider chickening out, feeling a comforting hand on her arm. She met green eyes and a pale hand gave her arm a squeeze.

"_I'm right here. I won't let you fall."_

Regina relaxed and nodded her head. Emma pulled her hand away and moved toward the opening in the barrier and waited there for Regina to catch up. She watched the brunette slowly inch forward. The blonde was glad they wouldn't have deal with all the middle schoolers that liked to terrorize the place on the weekends. The brunette was already having trouble staying on her feet. She didn't to be worried about getting knocked over by the ankle biters that would speed by under your elbows.

When Regina was at her side, Emma glided easily onto the smooth hardwood and spinned so she was facing the brunette. Other skaters flew past, but Emma paid them no mind. Her attention was focused fully on Regina.

An olive toned hand grasped the barrier as she slowly slid a skate onto the slippery hardwood. She followed with the other and hurriedly clutched the barrier with her other hand. The difference between the carpet and smooth wood beneath her feet was almost enough to send her to the floor. She took a moment to adjust.

Once Regina was steady on her feet again, she slowly started moving backwards as the brunette copied her motions from before. They eased their way around the floor a couple times, Regina with a hand on the wall and the other out by her side for balance, Emma gliding backwards in front of her the whole time. There for her friend like she said she would.

Regina kept her head down, watching her feet in case they decided to betray her and start slipping around without her permission. She could feel eyes on her, and not just the green ones she'd become familiar with. But she ignored them, her attention preoccupied with making sure she stayed upright.

After a few more passes around, Emma noticed that Regina seemed more and more confident on her feet. So she decided her friend was ready for the next step in her skating lesson.

She waved a hand at the other woman to get her attention. Regina looked up at her with a questioning look.

"_Are you ready to let go of the wall?" _She asked indicating the hand Regina still had braced against the wall.

The brunette shook her head. Not willing to move her hands from where they were to respond.

"_Come on you're doing great. Just let go of the wall." _

They moved forward a few more feet before Regina gingerly removed her hand from the wall. She wobbled for a moment and started moving at an even slower pace than before. She found that without the aid of the wall she struggled to stay balanced, pitching forward or backward suddenly.

Emma was there, ready to catch Regina any time she would jerk violently in any direction. She saw the problem when they entered the wooden floor. Without the wall to help keep her upright, her shuffle skating was bound to end in Regina and herself on the ground. Time for another lesson.

The blonde spun around so she was skating at Regina's side, causing the woman to look at her.

"_Do as I do." _She instructed. Slowly, the blonde glided forward, lengthening each stride and rolling forward for a moment until she lost momentum. She pushed off of the other foot and repeated the process.

Regina watched her movements closely and copied them. Her first few times were a little wobbly, but she eventually got the hang of it, gaining speed with each stride. She looked over to Emma with a wide grin that the blonde couldn't help but return.

"_I'm doing it." _ The brunette said excitedly.

"_You're doing an amazing job." _Emma praised, moving back into her position of skating backwards in front of Regina.

Regina, much more confident on her feet and far more balanced, felt comfortable enough to start conversation instead of stare at her skates the entire time.

She smirked and addressed her blonde counterpart.

"_I'm very impressed with your backwards skating by the way." _

Emma blushed, but maintained a cocky grin.

"_You ain't seen nothing yet." _she told her friend with a wink.

"_Then show me." _Regina encouraged, motioning for the blonde to take off, but Emma merely shook her head and continued to grin.

"_Patience my friend." _

Emma would have usually, gladly taken advantage of the excuse to be a show off, but refrained from doing so this time. Even though the rink wasn't as full as it normally was, with only adult patrons, there were still a significant number of people skating around. She wasn't going to risk colliding with someone, and getting knocked over. Not with Regina watching. She'd get her chance to show off.

Regina accepted this with a nod, curious as to what the other woman had up her sleeve. Instead she moved on, gaining speed with each pass they made around the oval shaped rink.

"_What song is playing?" _she asked.

All her life Regina has loved music. Even though she couldn't hear the lyrics, she could feel the vibrations created by the bass and other instruments in songs. She could name different songs based on the vibration patterns. She and Kathryn made a game out of it whenever they made the half hour trip to her brother's house in Regina's car. She had a bass tube that rocked the whole vehicle.

She could feel the vibrations through her skates, though not as well as she'd been able to in her flats, but didn't recognize the song.

Emma took a moment to listen to the words, smirking when she picked up on the catchy tune she'd fallen in love with after hearing it just once. That was another reason she liked that this skating rink had a night for adults only. When the place was packed with kids, they tended to play chart toppers of the day and most one of them were crap. On the night for 18 and older they only played pop music with some merit mixed in with hits from the 70s to early 2000s. It was the perfect blend in Emma's opinion.

"_Classic by MKTO." _The blonde answered bobbing her head to the beat.

"_I like it." _Regina bobbed her head right along with Emma, unconsciously skating to the beat.

The blonde watched Regina move and smile at her.

"_You were worried for nothing, you skate like a pro."_

"_I guess I was." _The brunette hadn't realized how fast they were going or how she hadn't lost her balance yet. She decided to test her new found abilities.

She smirked at Emma with a mischievous glint in her brown eyes.

"_Catch me if you can."_

Green eyes watched, stunned, as the olive skinned woman darted around her and sped away as if she hadn't been scoot skating less than twenty minutes ago. A huge smile broke out across her face as she turned to skate forward and chase after her friend.

Emma caught up to the brunette easily in one lap around the floor, being the more experienced skater, and poked the other woman's sides as she slowed down behind her. The peel of laughter that came from Regina at the unexpected shock was by far the most beautiful sound Emma had heard. She left her hands where they were on Regina's sides, skating in tandem with the other woman.

Regina looked over her shoulder at the blonde, enjoying the pleasant pressure on her waist, but feeling guilty for it at the same time. Not ready to deal with the conflicting emotions running wildly through her head at Emma's touch, Regina took the pale hands in her own with a quick squeeze before shooting her a playful grin before speeding off again.

For her part, Emma had seen the brief flash of emotions in those brown eyes, but decided not to push Regina. Instead she shook her head with a smirk and skated after the retreating form that was Regina.

It took Emma much longer to catch up Regina this time. By the time they both slowed down they were panting and holding their sides. She hadn't touched the brunette this time though. She didn't want her to skate off again.

For someone who just learned to skate, Regina was quick and was way too good at weaving in and out of the other skaters.

"_How do you do that? You literally learned to skate like an hour ago."_

Regina simply shrugged with a smug on her face. _"I'm a fast learner." _

"_I'll say." _

The pair glided around at a leisurely pace in silence, enjoying Pink's Just Like a Pill. Emma sang the words with conviction and Regina tried to remember the cues for the lyrics in her head, having memorized the song years ago. They both remained in their own little worlds brought on by Pink's words and didn't notice when the lights dimmed over the rink.

Regina was the first to notice the change. People were pairing off and skating slowly, hand in hand. She tapped Emma's arm to point out the change to the blonde.

"_What song is playing now?"_

"_Angel of Mine by Monica." _Emma answered without missing a beat. They always played the R&B cover for the couple skate. That or Hero by Enrique Iglesias. Both songs brought out strong feelings in Emma, but she didn't want to make Regina feel uncomfortable by staying to skate to the romantic song.

They were friends.

And by the look on her face, Emma could see Regina growing more and more uncomfortable as pair after pair skated past them holding hands. One day she hoped she could skate a couple skate with the brunette.

But today wasn't that day.

"_Do you want something to drink?" _

The brunette eagerly nodded and exited the rink right behind Emma. There was an adjustment that had to be made going from hardwood back to the carpeted floor, but luckily neither one of them bit the dust.

Emma bought them each a bottle of water, arguing that they were still skating, when Regina offered to pay for her own. The blonde made a quick stop at the DJ booth before returning to Regina's side. At the brunette's questioning look she merely shrugged. They sat down on the same bench where they'd changed their shoes and sipped their drinks as they watched the couples skate past.

Regina watched the people on the rink smile at each other with affection, if not love, shining on their faces directed on the partner they were sharing the song with. The thought of her own girlfriend crossed her mind as she watched the happy couples.

Her relationship with Melanie had never been that easy. Never.

Their first date had been an awkward dinner followed by drinks with her mother. Not the ideal first date. They hadn't been on a date since. They were just together after that. Mel knew she didn't have to try hard to keep Regina and Regina knew it too. The approving smile on her mother's face when they'd left that first night had sealed the deal.

She wished she hadn't given into that set up so easily. Her father had told her it was her choice, but they both knew that wasn't true. When Cora wanted something, she got it. And she wanted the benefits that came with merging with Gold, even if it cost her own daughter's happiness.

The relationship she had with Mel wouldn't be half as bad if they did fun stuff like this every once in a while. But Mel would just look down her nose at doing something as juvenile as skating on a Saturday night. Her girlfriend had inherited that snotty trait that growing up with money often brought. Regina was glad she hadn't fallen victim to it. Mel's idea of a date was dinner at an expensive restaurant where she'd have to wear a dress to and a glass of wine before bed.

Regina was getting sick of that and things would have to change, she decided. Or else she didn't know how much longer she could stay with Mel. Her mother would not be pleased with that.

Conflicted, she focused back on skating couples, her heart clenching in both longing for what they had that she didn't and pain knowing she'd probably never have it.

Emma watched Regina watch the pairs moving around the rink with a sort of longing on her face. That made her wonder about the brunette's current girlfriend. How bad was it that made Regina watch other people's happiness with that much want in her eyes?

Anger flared up in Emma momentarily, but dissipated as quickly as it came. There was nothing she could do for Regina except show her that she deserved happiness and to be treated like an equal. And she planned to do just that by being the best friend to the brunette that she could.

The lights over the rink brightened up again and Emma placed a hand on the other woman's shoulder.

Regina looked over at her, brown eye glazed over for a moment before clearing.

"_Ready to get back out there?"_

"_Yes." _

The blonde stood and offered her hand to Regina who took it willingly, though quickly dropped it when she was back on her feet. They discarded their empty water bottles and skated back out onto the waxed skating floor.

* * *

They skated side by side, rocking out to Alone Together by Fall Out Boy, laughing at each other's silly dance moves. Emma decided to pay back Regina for the chase she'd been put through before the couple skate and sped around, teasing the brunette and daring her to catch her. Regina caught her every time with a huge smile and poke to the ribs. They played this game for a few songs, before the emcee's voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Alright skaters, this next song is for all the backwards skaters. If you can't hang, clear the floor."

A giddy smile lit up Emma's face Time to shine.

Regina looked at her confused, noticing that most of the other skater's had made their way off of the floor.

"_What's going on?_

"_Backwards skating." _Emma answered simply with that cocky smirk of hers.

Regina knew this was the moment the other woman had been waiting for.

"_I'll be watching you."_

"_Good. That's why we're here." _Emma joked. _"Prepare to be amazed."_

The brunette just giggled and followed the trail of people exiting the rink. She stood at the barrier in front of the bench she and Emma had vacated not twenty minutes earlier. Her eyes roamed over the floor, noticing that out of the fifty or so people currently in the establishment only fifteen were left on the skating floor. She caught sight of Emma skating leisurely with her hands behind her back, her smirk firmly in place.

Regina suspected her friend had something big planned and was intrigued and excited to see what she could do.

Emma kept up her leisurely pace until the opening notes of the song she'd requested when she and Regina had taken a water break started playing through the speakers. She locked eyes with the tanned woman before focusing on impressing her and not falling.

As the first "Go on." of Breathless by the Corrs sounded she sped up, gaining momentum until the first banging of the drums. As the beat started she spun around to face the opposite direction, but kept her forward momentum.

She couldn't stop the smile that spread over her face at the lyrics of the upbeat song filled her up. She let the beat guide her skates, being careful to avoid colliding with her fellow backwards skater. Emma didn't know where her dance moves came from, but she started moving her hips to the music and bobbing her head in time with the beat.

Emma saw Regina watching her with a look of as she moved around to the song from her spot at the barrier. Being the show off she was, the blonde made sure she had the other woman's attention before spinning to skate facing forward again. She sped up to an impossible speed before going to going from skating forward to backward to forward again three times in a row before she went back to going backwards into the turn. She saw Regina's jaw had dropped as she passed by again and the brunette was clapping excitedly for her.

The blonde heard more applause coming from the other spectators. But she ignored them.

She wasn't showing off for them.

Slowing down to a more controllable speed, Emma swerved to avoid another skater. The woman she'd just moved around called to her over the loud song.

"Which one are you trying to impress?"

Emma smirked and motioned her thumb over to Regina. "Her."

The woman looked over at Regina and saw the captivated brown eyes locked on her blonde friend, a smile gracing her beautiful features.

"I think it's working." The woman said with a wink and skated away.

The blonde glanced back over at Regina and smiled shyly to herself. She sped back up as the song reached the last chorus.

At the last "Go on." Emma spun back around and stopped in front of Regina on the other side of the barrier. She was panting, out of breath, and was sure her usually pale features were at least four shades of red by this point. Not caring, she had that big goofy grin back on her face.

Regina smiled at her and clapped her hands and Emma bowed dramatically, earning her a giggle from the brunette.

"_That was amazing." _Regina told her, her chocolate eyes still filled with awe. _"I love that song too, by the way." _

"_Thank you." _Emma bowed again, moving along the barrier to step onto the carpet. _"I'll be right back."_

She motioned her head toward the bathrooms and Regina nodded her understanding. Emma skated away and the brunette stayed where she was. It wouldn't be much fun out on the floor without Emma. So she would wait for her friend to return. She watched the other skaters, recognizing the pattern of vibrations for Luke Bryan's Drunk On You. She watched people either mouthing or our right singing the song. She giggled at the thought of not being the only one to enjoy the country song.

So caught up in the music and people watching, Regina didn't notice the other person making their way into her personal space, until he had his arm around her shoulders. She could feel his hot breath on the side of her face as he whispered in her ear. Too bad that wouldn't work with her. She jerked her head away in disgust and sidestepped out from under his arm. Regina wrinkled her nose at him. His body odor was overwhelming.

"Don't be like that sweetheart." Regina watched the man's lips as he advanced on her, taking her staring at his mouth the wrong way.

He tried to slip his arm back around her, but she ducked it and held her hands out in front of her head and shook her head. Hoping he'd get the message.

He didn't and tried moving toward her again.

Regina growled. She really hated dealing with assholes. Of the male and female variety.

"Leave me alone." she told him firmly.

The man just looked at her for a minute, a look of understanding crossing his features, or what he thought he understood.

"What are you retarded or something?"

The brunette saw red. With hands clenched like claws, she was ready to tear into this big idiot. She hated people like him. She made a move to go for the jugulars, but as she stepped toward the man a hand wrapping around her upper arm stopped her.

Regina turned to see Emma standing at her side, her green eyes hard and cold and lips in a thin lined scowl. Her own features softened at in Emma's presence. She'd been on the verge of murder, now she was calm. Her eyes hardened as she faced the ignorant man before then.

"Back off." Emma snarled at him, causing the man to recoil in fear. She was not one to be messed with and in this moment she looked downright terrifying.

"Run along." Regina said, venom dripping from her words, motioning for him to do just that.

The man's scared blue eyes shifted between the two women and he looked ready to piss his pants. They looked mad, really mad. And scary. He turned and skated away, tripping over his own feet in his hurry to get away. They both laughed as he face planted into the carpet.

Emma let go of Regina's arm as the brunette crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at her skates. With her anger gone, she couldn't stop the hurt from seeping into her chest. The blonde leaned over to try and make eye contact.

When brown eyes met her own green ones she smiled.

"_Forget him. He was an asshole."_

"_He's not the only one." _Regina told her with a sigh.

"_Then forget all of them. They don't matter."_

Regina looked into emerald orbs and saw the conviction behind her words in the green pools. She let out a breath and nodded. Usually an encounter like that would have ruined her whole evening, but she liked Emma's approach. She would just let it roll off her back and move on. Why let someone else's ignorance ruin her time with her friend.

"_Come on there's a few more songs."_

Emma led the way back into the crowd of other skaters and Regina forgot all about the stupid guy the second the next song started. She grinned over to Emma, who grinned right back. Regina had memorized the cues in this song when she was a little kid and it had stuck with her all these years.

Emma and Regina skated side by side to the Macarena. Doing the dance as they went. No shame at all.

At first they were the only ones doing it but then a few more skaters joined in until everyone was doing the Macarena. The pair broke down in a fit of laughter when the song concluded and didn't stop until they were driving back to campus in Emma's Bug.

* * *

Emma had the hands in the front pockets of her Capri's as she and Regina slowly made their up the sidewalk that lead to Regina's dorm building. She knew was walking agonizingly slow. She didn't care. The blonde had had the most fun she'd had in forever. She wasn't ready for the night to end.

She could tell Regina wasn't either.

The brunette was dragging her feet. Her building was drawing closer with every step they took. Walking at a sluglike pace was only prolonging the inevitable and she knew it. That didn't mean she was any more willing to pick up the pace. Regina never got to have like she'd had with Emma that night and she didn't want to burst her happy little bubble with her harsh reality of a life just yet.

Far too soon for either of their liking, they stopped at the foot of the stairs leading into Regina's building. They stood facing each other, neither one saying anything. After few moments Regina was the one to break the silence.

"_I had a lot of fun tonight." _She told her with a wide grin. It was an understatement. She'd had the time of her life.

"_I did too." _Emma grinned back, her smile much more shy.

"_We should do it again."_ Regina suggested.

"_Definitely."_

They stood in silence again, knowing there really was nothing else to say other than goodnight. But neither one wanted to start their goodbye. Emma finally said something, knowing they couldn't stand out here forever.

"_I'll text you." _She smiled. _"Goodnight Regina."_

"_Goodnight Emma." _

For a second the blonde thought Regina was going lean for a hug, but the brunette changed her mind and turned to hurry up the stairs to the doors. Emma watched her until she disappeared on the other side of the glass doors.

With a sigh, Emma turned and started toward her own dorm. She let her mind replay the events of the evening and couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

They would have to that again.

Soon.

In the elevator of her dorm, Regina was thinking the exact same thing.

* * *

I said it before and I'll say it again, I love this chapter. Aren't you all glad I split it up? That would have been majorly cut down if I would have kept it together.

What do you guys think? I know everyone loves them together and I love writing them together :)

Did anyone pick up on the seeds that are slowly starting to be planted in Regina's mind? That is far from being resolved but at least she's starting to see things differently.

I honestly have no idea what I'm doing for the next chapter, we'll just have to see what happens.

Let me know what you think.

(P.S I finished and edited this at four in the morning. Seriously, it shouldn't even be counted as editing, I swear I dozed off about half way through. So if there are any big mistakes, let me know and they will be fixed promptly.)


	13. Chapter 13

Oh My Freaking Gosh! I am so so sorry this took so long. I wanted this up on Tuesday. My bad.

My life is just extremely busy at the moment. Between school (and all the crap that comes with that), softball, work, and my family. I have like no time at all. I literally was passed out on Wednesday after my softball game. And on top of everything else I am graduating in a month, so have to get all my college shit together too. I need a break from life.

Anyways, excuse my little rant, I want to thank anyone who left me a review or followed the story. Also thanks for the favorites. That is like the biggest compliment to me :) You all are awesome. Keep doing what you are doing.

What can I say about the chapter? Hmm...(taps chin thoughtfully)

Nothing. Read for yourselves.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Without further ado, on with the show...

* * *

Chapter 13

Regina shuffled out of her room Sunday morning still clad in her pajamas. It was only six in the morning, but the constant vibrations coming from her cell phone was keeping her from enjoying her Sunday sleep in.

Apparently, her girlfriend wasn't pleased about being ignored all night, but Regina couldn't find it in her to care. At least not at six in the morning.

With a yawn she moved over to the little kitchen area and grabbed a single serve bowls of cereal from the bulk package sitting on top of the mini fridge. After pouring the last of the milk into the the plastic container of Fruit Loops and grabbing a spoon, the brunette shuffled the short distance to the couch and plopped down on the cushions, careful not to spill her breakfast.

Just as she was flipping on the TV to watch whatever DVD was in the player, her phone vibrated from the pocket of her hoodie. She rolled her eyes and pulled the device from her pocket and opened the no doubt angry message from her girlfriend.

**So you're ignoring me now? **

Feeling like a smartass Regina gave a one word reply with a smirk, taking a satisfied bite of her colorful cereal.

**Yes. **

Regina wasn't all that surprised by the message she received in return.

**Excuse me? Is that a game you really want to play with me?**

The threat was apparent. But again, Regina was too tired to care.

**What do you want? I'm tired. **

**I don't care. Where were you last night? **

Regina rolled her brown eyes and tossed her phone aside to enjoy her Fruit Loops before they got soggy. Mel was such a hypocrite. When the blonde wanted Regina, Regina was just supposed to drop everything to accommodate her girlfriend. But if Regina wanted one Saturday night to hang out with a friend, regardless of who that friend was, there was a big problem.

She was over it for the morning. She knew she'd have to deal with it eventually.

But not now.

Regina got half way through an episode of House before the constant vibrating and flashing coming from her phone was too much to ignore. With an exasperated sigh she flopped her head onto the back of the couch and saw she had six missed calls and several text messages from her girlfriend. Mel must be desperate, or horny, if she had resorted to calling Regina to get her attention.

Deciding to have mercy, she opened the most recent message.

**Where the hell were you?!**

**Skating.**

Just because she was answering didn't mean she felt like less of a smartass.

**With who?**

**My friend, Emma. **

**Who is Emma?**

**A friend. Obviously. **

**You've never mentioned her. **

The brunette wanted to throw her phone across the room. Mel didn't even like the only friend she had introduced her girlfriend to and got jealous over every little thing. Why go through the headache if she didn't have to?

**Why would I? You don't even like Kathryn.**

**Why would you got out with her?**

**I'm not allowed to have fun?**

**Not while I'm sitting here by myself. I am your girlfriend.**

Regina just stared at her phone for a minute. The underlying message in Mel's statement was loud in clear. Regina belonged to Melanie, handed to the blonde on a silver platter by her own mother. She sighed, resigned to her fate.

**What do you want?**

**You. Come to Boston. **

She knew it would be pointless to argue. Mel would only continue to bother her until she got what she wanted. It was how their relationship worked. Mel got what she wanted, when she wanted and Regina would just have to deal with it.

**Fine. I'll be there. **

**Don't take too long. **

Love you, too, Regina thought. She didn't even bother replying. She threw her phone down beside her on the couch, causing it to bounce from the cushion and fall to the floor. But she didn't care. The brunette pulled a throw pillow over her face and screamed into it until she was out of breath.

Regina sat there with the pillow on her face with her fists clenched at her sides for who knows how long. She only moved when the pillow was ripped from her face.

She jumped, seeing Kathryn's worried face hovering above her own. Her blonde friend still looked half asleep, her eyes were cloudy and her hair was sleep rumpled. Apparently the pillow hadn't done a very good job at muffling her frustrated outburst. Stupid pillow.

"What's wrong?" Kathryn asked, slightly irritated at being woken up this early. They slept in on Sunday's. Why was Regina screaming before seven AM?

"Everything." The brunette told her with a sigh.

Kathryn watched the defeated way her friend flopped herself to lay over the entire couch and draped her arm over her eyes. This confused the blonde. She would have thought that Regina would have been through the roof after spending a whole evening with Emma. But looking at the sprawled out form of her best friend and knew something wasn't right.

Her irritation deflated as she made her way around the couch. The blonde picked up her friend's feet and placed them in her lap as she sat down.

Regina moved her arm from her face as Kathryn rubbed her shin and tilted her head in question.

"_Talk to me." _the blonde urged. _"How was skating?" _

The smile that had lit up Regina's face when she'd told Kathryn about Emma spread across the brunette's lips, causing Kathryn to smile in return.

"_I had so much fun. We ate at Tony's before we went to the rink. Emma showed me how to skate. It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be." _Regina paused and gasped, reaching out to grab Kathryn's arm momentarily before continuing. _"They did this thing where only people who could skate backwards stayed on the floor and Emma was amazing. She did this thing going forward and backwards. I have no idea how she did it. I wish I would have got a video of it, it was pretty awesome." _

Kathryn watched her friend gush about her time with Emma with a grin. This was the reaction she'd expected to come from her friend.

"_You actually skated?" _The blonde teased, smirking as Regina playfully narrowed her eyes at her.

"_Yes I did." _Regina gave a proud, decisive nod. _"And I didn't even fall."_

Kathryn clapped her hands together slowly.

"_I'm so proud."_

The brunette glared at her friend and tossed the pillow she'd screamed into at her friend. She laughed as it hit the blonde square in the face.

"I don't like you." Kathryn huffed, holding the pillow to her chest. Regina would get no more ammo, she had quite the arm.

"_You love me." _Regina countered with a smug smirk.

"_Eh." _The blonde shrugged looking toward the TV that was still playing an episode of House.

That answer wasn't good enough for Regina. Without warning she pounced at Kathryn and plopped herself in her friend's lap. She wrapped her arms securely around neck, trapping the blonde's head against her chest. Kathryn tried to pull her head out of Regina's grasp, but the woman only held her tighter.

"Say it." Regina demanded dramatically. "Say you love me. You know you love me."

Kathryn was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe. That and the fact that Regina had her in a headlock. She moved her hand that wasn't trapped by the brunette's body and held it so Regina could see it.

"_You are crazy." _She fingerspelled. _"You're going to smother me."_

Regina pulled her impossibly closer and shook her head. "I'll let you go as soon as you say it."

Kathryn tried to pull away again only for Regina to clutch her tighter. She was shaking with laughter, sure her face had to be five different shades of red. She didn't care though. It had been a long time since she'd seen this playful, childlike side of her best friend. Regina had always been reserved around people. But once she felt comfortable enough to let her guard down, this silly side came out to play and Kathryn considered herself lucky to get to experience it. She was in no hurry to make it stop.

She had the sneaking suspicion that a certain blonde named Emma was behind the reemergence of goofy Regina.

When the need to breathe became too much, Kathryn signed "I love you."

Regina gave her friend one last squeeze before releasing the blonde, staying in her lap.

"_I repeat, you are crazy." _

"Your hair is a little messy. You should really do something about that." The brunette said nonchalantly twirling a stray piece of blonde hair around a tanned finger.

She put her hands under Regina and flipped her out of her lap. Regina landed with and oomph in her previous spot on the couch. She situated herself back into a sitting position, facing her disheveled friend.

"_Was that necessary?"_

"Yes." Kathryn deadpanned.

Both women burst into a fit of giggles. Regina doubled over, loving the easiness that came with her friendship with Kathryn. She was like the sister she never had.

Calming down, Kathryn looked at the other woman seriously.

"_If you had so much fun, why was I woken up by you screaming into a pillow?"_

Regina looked down at her hands, the smile slipping from her features. She'd had so much more than fun with Emma. She wished everyday could be like last night. But the reality of it was she could never have that. Her mother would never approve. Life wasn't about having fun to Cora. It was about status and success.

Whenever she was with Emma she felt like she could just be herself. There was no one to impress, no one she felt like she had to please. The only one she had to please was herself. She was Regina. It was those moments she craved most of all.

But she was already the black sheep in her family. She didn't want to be alienated further by her mother by going against her wishes. She'd worked too hard to let it all go now.

"_Mel is upset because I ignored her last night. I didn't mean to. I didn't even have my phone." _

Kathryn held back a growl. Of course it all came back to Melanie. That woman was toxic.

"_Who care's? You're allowed do stuff without her. It's actually healthy for relationship." _Not that Regina's relationship with Mel could be considered any type of healthy.

"_I know, but I didn't even tell her I was going out." _

The blonde was getting fed up with Regina's way of thinking when it came to her girlfriend. She grabbed her friend's shoulders, forcing Regina to look her in the eye.

"Regina, you are an adult. Mel does not dictate what you can or can't do. So what if you took one Saturday night for yourself?"

"_I know but…"_

"There is no but about it. You don't owe her anything."

Regina just nodded as Kathryn let go of her shoulders. She let the brutally honest words of her closest friend sink in. But she couldn't bring herself to listen to them. As juvenile as it was, Mel would not hesitate to go to her mother whenever a problem arose in their relationship. Or when Regina did something the blonde didn't like. She'd be surprised if her mother didn't know about her skating excursion with Emma by the end of the day.

Her mother would waste no time in reprimanding her and urge her to make up with Melanie. Because whatever she was mad about or whatever Mel had done wasn't worth breaking up such a smart pair. Anything to protect her business transaction with Mr. Gold, Regina would think every time. But at this point she had gotten attached and it was hard to cut those ties that her mother and herself kept reinforcing.

"_I just feel bad." _

"_I know you do." _

Kathryn patted her hands soothingly and dropped the subject. That was Regina's big heart at work. Mel would play the victim and Regina wasn't able to see through the bullshit. She'd seen her friend start to wise up to Mel's games in the last couple of weeks, but she always fell back into her old habits.

It was heartbreaking to watch. Regina was such a strong person, but she bent over backwards to please her demanding partner, all because she was so afraid to lose the sliver of approval she got from her mother. All while denying herself real happiness, in the process.

But Kathryn was done watching. Someone had to knock some sense into her friend. She'd do all she could to help Regina help herself, but the brunette had to be willing to do so. And right now Regina wasn't willing. Or at least not completely willing. Old habits died hard.

Kathryn wanted to see that smile Emma brought to Regina's face all the time. That was what true happiness looked like. She just needed to stay away for a while so that could happen. The blonde was betting that things would work themselves out from there, including Regina dropping Mel's bitchy ass.

"_Did you make any more plans with Emma?" _She asked hoping the two would be spending more time together soon.

Regina's cheeks flushed slightly, something that piqued Kathryn's interest, as she answered.

"_I offered to make her some lasagna."_

The blonde had to grin at that. The way to girl's heart was through her stomach, and Regina's lasagna was to die for.

"_You were bragging weren't you?" _she teased.

"_Maybe." _Regina shot her friend a sly smirk before standing up from the couch, collecting her breakfast trash as she went. She stretched once before moving to discard her garbage and head for her room.

"_I have to get ready." _The brunette told Kathryn from her doorway.

"_For what?" _

It wasn't even eight o'clock in the morning on a Sunday. Where on earth did Regina need to be? She prayed she wasn't about to go to Boston.

"_Mel asked me to go down to Boston." _Regina told her with a guilty look on her face.

No dice.

Kathryn went to say something but was cut off by a tan hand raised to stop her response.

"_I know what you're going to say, and I understand that I don't owe her anything. I'm going to spend sometime with my girlfriend, because I want to." _At least that's what she was telling herself. She really hoped Mel wouldn't be in too bad a mood when she got there. _"It's what couples do."_

"_If you say so." _Kathryn waved a dismissive hand at her friend and turned toward the television.

Regina watched her friend for a moment before disappearing into her room. It was hard to convince her friend of something she was trying to rationalize for herself.

As Kathryn heard the door to her roommate's bedroom close, she repeated Regina's earlier actions. She threw her head back onto the back of the couch and covered her face with a pillow. It was her turn to scream through her frustration.

She really had her work cut out for her. She hoped Mary Margaret was having better luck than she was.

* * *

Mary Margaret was sitting across from Emma, watching as the blonde chow down on her breakfast. The blonde had a smile on her face, even as she slowly brought forkfuls of pancakes to her mouth. The pixie haired brunette was practically bouncing in her seat wanting to know everything about Emma's outing with Regina. She'd held off on her questions and even offered to take her friend out for breakfast, knowing the blonde would never turn down free food.

Emma was wise to her best friend's little plan. They have lived together for five years, she knew the petite woman inside and out. She knew Mary Margaret was just bursting for information about her evening with Regina, and Emma was not going to give it to her very easily.

She felt eyes on her as she finished the last of her pancakes, chewing the fluffy, syrupy goodness slowly, savoring the sweetness. She could see her friend's impatience growing, and Emma took great joy in torturing her further. She lowered her fork opening her mouth as if to speak, but picked up her mug of hot chocolate and brought it to her lips instead.

The blonde smirked into her as Mary Margaret perked up only to instantly deflate at her actions. Emma almost snorted into her cup at the sour look on the brunette's face and decided to put her friend out of her misery.

She placed the mug down, prolonging it for just a little longer before sighing and leaning back in the booth. Green eyes studied the woman before her and pink lips morphed into a smirk.

"Alright. Go ahead and ask me what you brought me here to ask me."

Mary Margaret practically squealed and situated herself on the edge of her seat.

"How was your date?"

Emma held up her hand to stop her friend from continuing and shook her head.

"Hold on a second. Let's just make one thing clear." She looked at Mary Margaret seriously. "It was not a date. Regina is in a relationship and I am going to respect that."

The brunette nodded her head in understanding.

Mary Margaret watched Emma ease back in her seat a brief flash of pain in her friend's green eyes, the blonde no doubt remembering the hurt of finding her own partner had been cheating on her. From what Kathryn had told her of Regina's girlfriend and the harsh edge to Emma's words, Mary Margaret could only image what the woman was like. She knew her friend would never do to someone else what had broken her already fragile heart. No matter who it was.

The petite woman hadn't meant to refer to her outing with Regina as a date, and she applauded Emma strength of character on the matter.

"I'm sorry. How was skating?"

That bright smile that would light up Emma's face at the mention of her new friend made an appearance. It made Mary Margaret smile as well. It was nice to see her best friend happy for real instead of faking it like she most often did thinking she never noticed. Mary Margaret always noticed. She wanted to personally thank Regina for putting that smile back on Emma's face.

"You wouldn't believe how much fun I had." Emma enthused with a happy sigh just thinking about the previous night with Regina. "She is so funny. I had to teach her how to skate and it was adorable."

Mary Margaret giggled as Emma gushed excitedly over skating experience with Regina. Usually skating was something Emma liked to do alone. She would speed around the rink, just absorbing the music, not really paying any mind to anyone else. So, for the blonde to ask Regina to go with her and take the time to teach her to skate spoke volumes of how much Emma already cared for Regina.

"And then once she got the hang of it, I was the one trying to keep up." Emma gave a full bellied laugh at the memory of her and Regina's game of tag. "We chased each other around almost the whole time."

"Did you show off your mad backwards skating skills?" Mary Margaret asked with smirk, already knowing the answer.

"Hell yeah." The blonde said puffing her chest out slightly, a look of pride on her face. "Regina was impressed."

"I can imagine she was. So you guys had a good time?"

"The best." The dreamy smile on Emma's face said it all, but then her expression changed. Her mouth formed a thin contemplative line and her eyebrows crinkled together.

"What's wrong?" the brunette asked, confused by her friend's sudden change of emotions.

Emma shrugged resting her chin on her steepled fingers. "I kind of got the feeling that Regina doesn't get do stuff like that very often."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know. It was just the vibe I was getting. At one point she had this, like almost longing look on her face. It's kind of sad, really. I've noticed it a few times actually."

"She probably doesn't have very many opportunities to do so." Mary Margaret suggested. She didn't have the whole story but she was willing to bet it had everything to do with the other woman's mother and girlfriend and nothing do with Regina's actual desire to have fun.

"I bet that bitch has something to with it." Emma said with a low growl. Yes, she would respect the fact that Regina was dating that dragon of a woman. That didn't mean she had to like it.

Mary Margaret recoiled a bit at the blonde's harsh words but continued on.

"Just keep doing what you're doing." The brunette told her. A nudge in the right direction, she thought with an internal smirk. "Be there for Regina as a friend. It seems like it's making both of you happy. You can't go wrong with that."

Emma considered her friend's advice for a moment. She could do that for Regina. Show that she could have fun and that it was okay to enjoy herself. And if one day she could be there for the brunette as more than a friend, so be it. Emma wouldn't complain, not one but.

Finally she nodded in agreement.

"I'll do that."

"Good." The pixie haired woman smiled kindly at her friend and squeezed a pale forearm that was resting on the table.

Emma wrung her hands together and stared at the swirling patterns on the table for a moment before deciding to tell Mary Margaret the thing thing that had been gnawing at the back of her mind since she and Regina had left Tony's the night before.

"She asked about my family." She whispered, not looking up from her hands.

Mary Margaret immediately scooted all the way the edge of her seat and rubbed Emma's arm across the table. She tilted her head, trying to catch the green eyes she suspected were filling with tears. Family was always a painful subject for Emma and she was the only one who fully understood having witness her struggles first hand.

"What did you tell her?" The brunette asked softly.

"Nothing. I froze." Emma admitted. "We were still at Tony's when she asked and the waiter came before I could answer. She didn't ask again."

The brunette nodded, continuing to stroke her friend's arm in a comforting motion. Emma always craved physical touch whenever she talked about her parents. She was happy to hear that Regina hadn't pushed her friend into answering. Emma always shut down when she felt pressured and uncomfortable. There was that compassion Kathryn had mentioned.

"Did you want to tell her?" Mary Margaret, and her parents, was the only one who knew the full extent of what happened as far as Emma's family was concerned. If she had been planning to share even a portion of that story with Regina, Emma was in deeper than she had originally thought.

The blonde just shrugged. "I honestly don't know. She was telling me all about her parents and her brother and her niece and nephew, who are beyond adorable I might add, and I couldn't help but be jealous." Emma sniffed a little and continued. "She was so happy talking her dad and brother and those kids. She didn't seem too thrilled about her mother, but at least she has a mother. I didn't want her pity."

"I understand and I'm sure Regina will too if you chose to tell her. But that's something you should only do if you feel ready."

"I know." The blonde said stopping a tear from escaping with a quick flick of a finger. "I feel like I can trust Regina. It's so strange. I've never been this drawn to another person."

"I know what you mean." Mary Margaret said, thinking about her own relationship with Ruby.

"I just want to enjoy the fun we're having right now. Leave the heavy stuff for later."

"Sounds like a plan." The brunette stopped moving her hand along the toned arm and just let it rest against skin almost as pale as her own. "I'm here if you want to ever talk about you parents."

Emma gave her friend a tight smile and ducked her head. "I know. Thanks."

"It's absolutely no problem." She gave Emma's arm one last squeeze before withdrawing her hand. Mary Margaret let out a deep breath before placing her hands on the table, bracing herself to stand. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, let's hit the road." Emma said taking one last sip of her hot chocolate and standing from the booth, giving herself a moment to collect herself and get a hold of her emotions.

Mary Margaret settled the bill and joined her friend by the door. The two linked their arms together and set out on the short walk back to campus. They pair made their way down in companionable silence for a few moments before Emma smirked and turned her head toward the shorter woman.

"You know, I would have told you all that without the breakfast."

Mary Margaret laughed and bumped shoulders with the blonde.

"I was tilting the scales in my favor."

Emma joined in the laughter and bumped Mary Margaret's shoulder playfully in return.

"When are you seeing Regina again." The brunette asked, hoping it would be soon. Emma's happiness was infectious and she didn't want it to wear off.

"I don't know." The blonde answered honestly. She wanted to "accidentally" run into the tanned brunette like she had at the library and they hadn't figured out when Regina was going to make her famous, or so she said, lasagna. "We didn't really make any plans. Although she does want me to try her lasagna. She claims it's way better than Tony's. I think she's just trying to one-up my badass skating."

Mary Margaret chuckled at her friend. Everything had to be a contest with Emma. But she was glad the pair were going to share another date, but not really a date, type outing.

"That sounds like fun."

Emma only grinned wider and began skipping along the sidewalk, not letting her friend go, forcing Mary Margaret to skip right along with her.

Mary Margaret skipped happily beside her friend, laughing the entire time at how ridiculous they probably looked to passersby but she didn't care. Emma was a big goofball by nature, but had trouble expressing her emotions outwardly. It was clear to the entire world as the two skipped down the streets of Storybrooke that the blonde was happy. The blissful grin gracing her pale face was a big give away in of itself.

This was the Emma she liked to see. Mary Margaret had missed her.

Emma was making her job too easy. She hoped Kathryn was having as good of luck with Regina.

* * *

Mary Margaret sat out in the chilly late September afternoon with a book in her hand. Ruby had gone to visit her grandmother for the day and Emma had gone to work, a shift she'd traded in order to have Saturday night off. So the brunette was once again all alone with a book.

She couldn't force her mind to concentrate on the words on the page. Instead it kept wandering to what Emma had told her at breakfast, replaying their conversation over and over again. Completely abandoning her book, she closed the paper back with a resounding clap and pulled her phone from the pocket of the hoodie she had donned. One of Ruby's.

The petite woman figured Kathryn would have had plenty of time to question Regina about her thoughts after skating with Emma. She sent her co-conspirator a quick text message.

**Skating was a success on this end.**

She didn't have to wait long for a reply.

**Same here :)**

**Awesome :) Did Regina tell you about making lasagna?**

**Yes. She's trying to out do Emma. **

Mary Margaret had to laugh at that as she sent her response.

**Lol. Emma said the same thing. They are so cute. **

**I agree. I wish Regina could see that. **

This confused Mary Margaret. Emma had only wonderful things to say about her time spent with Regina. The huge grin her friend had sported almost all morning and the light attitude she was carrying around was something that could't be one sided.

**What makes you say that?**

**She let her girlfriend guilt her into driving to Boston. **

**That woman sounds terrible.**

**She is :( She's mean and manipulative. She makes Regina miserable. She needs more time with Emma. Emma makes her happy. **

**Regina makes Emma happy. It's nice to see Emma's smile again. Her real smile. **

**Same with Regina. They are perfect for each other. **

**We need to get them together again. Soon. **

**Agreed. Maybe we can orchestrate a "chance encounter" like at the library. **

**That sounds perfect. I'll talk to Emma.**

**I'll talk to Regina. **

**Bye. **

**Bye. **

Mary Margaret locked her phone and returned it to her pocket, plots already buzzing in her head.

* * *

Okay I know that was bad, but this was a filler/future chapter setup/best friend fluff. Like I said, it was hard enough to find time to write let alone write something substantial. I promise to do better next time.

How was the bestie stuff? I wanted Regina/Kathryn and Emma/MM moments that were both fluffy and addressed a few issues at the same time.

And the masterminds hard at work. I'm trying to have them nudge their friends, but at the same time have Regina and Emma completely in control. Is it working?

A question about the previous chapter. Did anyone pay close attention to my song choices? If you didn't, look up the lyrics. At least three of them can be applied directly to this story. See if you can figure out which ones.

On a lighter note I want to respond to a couple reviews that made my day.

**To the guest reviewer for Chapter 9 on April 7:** OMG :) Where have you been all my life? It is so hard to find people with the same obsessions as me. My best friend won't even watch an episode of Once let alone Xena. Your review made me smile, thank you so much. (FYI Frozen is going to be featured in this and it's going to help move the plot along. I'm so excited to write that chapter, you have no idea). Also, how did you like the chapter. Most people hated it and I disliked writing it.

**To iTyncWithReality: **See, I know what I'm doing :) Lol. My name is actually the name I got from Pottermore and it just stuck with me. I will try to stay out of trouble :)

That was a long one. Oops.

Let me know what you thought.

(P.S. Did anyone see Captain America? I have no time to do anything and it looks awesome.)


	14. Chapter 14

Hello all you lovely people. I have for you, the next installment in this little tale.

I thank anyone who was so kind to leave me a review. They are much appreciated. I also want to thank anyone who favorited or followed or both. You all are amazing and I want to hug you.

I got my groove back! Expect another update this weekend, because that is how amazing I feel right now :)

This one is kinda short though.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

On with the show...

* * *

Chapter 14

Regina walked the same path she and Emma had only hours before on her way to collective parking lot used by the surrounding dorms. She swung her car keys around her finger, her eyes unconsciously scanning the rows of cars for the yellow Volkswagen. Brown eyes weren't able to settle on the faded yellow vehicle, but they lit up as they fell on her own baby. An olive hand ran along the hood of the silver, convertible, Mustang.

The car was a graduation present from her parents. Regina could still remember the excitement she'd felt as she and her father pulled into the dealership lot three years ago. Thankfully, her mother had had business to attend to and was unable to accompany them, much to Regina's relief. The second the brunette had stepped out of her father's BMW her eyes fell on the shiny, new, silver convertible and she fell in love. They took it for a test drive and Regina was following her dad home, less than an hour late, behind the wheel of her brand new ride, nestled in the black leather seat.

Her mother hadn't been too pleased to find the sports car in the garage when she had returned home that day. But luckily, Jefferson had gone to Regina's defense, reminding their mother that she had allowed him to pick out his first car so it was only fair that she do the same for Regina. Cora had reluctantly agreed with Jefferson, but made her disdain for Regina's choice in vehicle known any chance she had. Much like everything else her daughter did.

The brunette let her mother's comments about her car roll off her back. She loved the silver vehicle and there was nothing Cora could say that would convince her to trade it in for something her mother deemed acceptable for a young lady, meaning a pansy ass four door or, even worse, a VW Beetle. Regina shuddered at the thought of driving around the girly little car around. She could tolerate Emma's yellow Bug, but only because it was a classic. The newer models were undignified in Regina's eyes.

Regina had a need for speed and the Mustang catered to that need beautifully.

She unlocked the car and slid easily into the driver's seat, the black leather protected by a purple seat cover adorned with black roses. An olive hand guided the key into the ignition and started the engine. A grin spread across her lips at the feel of the engine purring to life. Regina didn't drive very often while she was in school. Most things she needed were in walking distance, including downtown Storybrooke, and Mel more often than not insisted on driving them around, just to have that much more control over her. So any chance she had to take her pride and joy out for a spin, she grasped with both hands.

Regina grabbed the pair of sunglasses, tinted Ray Ban's with purple frames, that she kept above the visor and slid them over her eyes, despite the partly cloudly sky above, her smile turning into a smirk. She shifted the Mustang into reverse and easily backed out of the parking space before shifting into drive and speeding toward the exit of the parking lot. She pulled into traffic and wove her way out of Storybrooke in less than ten minutes. Once she was settled on the highway to Boston, she reached over and fiddled with the radio for a moment. Cranking up the volume on the station that played pop and pop-rock, with a little hip-hop mixed in, the whole car bounced as she bobbed her head to the beat. She'd had a bazooka bass tube installed shortly after getting the Mustang, and she was pretty sure the cars surrounding her were shaking with the force of her enhanced music. She laughed a little at mental image of other people rattling in their cars while glaring at the sparkling convertible.

She wished it was warmer so she could put the top down, but the chilly New England wouldn't allow for it anymore. There was something undeniably freeing about cruising down the highway with the top down and her music up. Regina would drive coast to coast if she could just to experience the feeling continuously and see all the sights along the way. It was a dream of hers and had been since she was a child.

* * *

Regina rocked out in her car, cruising along, passing cars that were moving too slow for her liking. She was surprised to find herself entering the city, not realizing over an hour had passed. The brunette turned down her radio, as she got closer to the streets of Boston, not wanting to be nuisance on the crowded streets.

A sigh escaped Regina's lips at seeing how bad traffic was backed up. She'd made pretty good time getting from campus to the city, but by looks of it she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Tapping her fingers against the steering wheel she looked around at the people in the cars beside her. The man to her left was slamming his hand repeatedly into his car horn, red in the face from screaming out his window. As if that would help anything. The woman to her right was drumming two pens against her steering wheel. She had earbuds in and was nodding her head violently to whatever was playing, singing or mouthing the lyrics. Regina laughed at the complete lack of inhibition displayed by the woman and went back to looking straight ahead. They had moved a foot, maybe.

Regina pulled out her phone and shot a quick text to Mel.

**I'm in Boston. Traffic is terrible. Be there as soon as I can. **

Five minutes and about a yard forward Regina's phone buzzed from it's resting spot on her thigh with Mel's response.

**Ok. **

The brunette locked her phone screen again with a huff. Traffic started moving again, but it was short lived as Regina found herself sitting at a standstill once again. Her phone vibrated again from her thigh. She almost ignored it, giving Mel a taste of her own medicine, but when she saw that the name flashing across the screen wasn't her girlfriend's she snatched the device up and opened the text from her brother.

**Hey sis, whatcha up to?**

Regina smiled as she replied to Jefferson. She hadn't seen him or the kids since going back to school and missed them dearly.

**Nothing much. On my way to see Mel. **

**Sounds fun. **

A few seconds later another message sent Regina's phone a vibrating.

**I'm joking of course. So you're in Boston?**

Brown eyes rolled at her brother. He thought he was funny. His was just another name on the long list of people who hated her girlfriend. Too bad the one person she wished would dislike Mel was the only person who seemed to be able to tolerate the blonde. Her mother practically worshipped the ground Mel walked on. If that was something Cora Mills would lower herself to do.

**Yes. Why?**

**I brought the kids to Boston for the weekend. Yesterday we walked the freedom trail and went to the aquarium. I was planning on visiting the Museum of Science after lunch. Wanna tag along?**

Regina would love nothing more than to spend the afternoon with Jefferson, and she'd especially love seeing Henry and Grace. But she'd have to deal with Mel first.

**I'll check back in after I talk to Mel. Would you care if she came too? **

Jefferson's response took a little longer this time, he was obviously thinking over the question. Mel behaved herself well enough when the kids were around, most of the time, and Jefferson played nice for Regina's sake. But if Melanie was already in a mood there was no telling what she would do. Jefferson made it a point to shield his children from the messed up dynamic of their family and wouldn't want to expose them to Mel in the midst of a tantrum. Regina assumed he was weighing his options, when her phone vibrated again.

In the time it took him to answer, her car had crept forward a few yards.

**I don't care as long as she isn't being an asshole. Is that a yes?**

**Most definitely. I'll be there. What time?**

**Noon. I'll tell the kids. **

**Give them a kiss from me and tell them I can't wait to see them. **

**Will do. See you soon Reggie :)**

Regina frowned at the use of that dreaded nickname. Apparently ten year old Jefferson hadn't liked the name Regina and called her, what he thoguht was, the much cooler Reggie instead. Regina had threatened his life on countless occasions for calling her that after she was old enough to, but he still insisted on using the name along with the far worse Sissy. Oh how she despised her brother sometimes.

**You know I hate that. **

**Yes I do, Sissy. Don't be late. **

**I won't. See ya. **

**Later. **

* * *

With that Regina put her phone back in her car's cup holder. Traffic was up and moving at a normal speed and Regina was able to make it to Mel's apartment building in fifteen minutes. She parked in the second spot that came with her girlfriend's apartment, right next to Mel's Benz.

As she climbed out of her car, Regina clicked the button on her keys to lock her own vehicle. The brunette strode across the cement floor of the underground parking deck in her light colored skinny jeans and flowy light pink, almost white blouse, her Sperry feet splashing on the slightly damp surface. She hopped on the elevator and hit the button for Mel's floor.

The doors didn't open again until she reached her girlfriend's floor, something Regina was grateful for. She didn't know if she could deal with Mel's creepy neighbors in such an enclosed space. Creepy cologne guy was enough for the brunette.

Squaring her shoulders, she made her way down the hall and stopped in front of Mel's apartment. It took a moment for Regina to decide to just let herself in. She found the right key and made short work of Melanie's locks.

Regina barely had the door opened before she was bombarded by the woman she'd been dreading seeing.

* * *

Mel heard the sound of keys in her door and knew Regina had finally arrived. Took her long enough, the blonde thought to herself as she stood from her position on the couch. It had been over two hours since she'd texted Regina to come to Boston. She took a moment to straighten out her top. She'd made sure to wear a shirt that had a plunging neckline. The blouse was made of sheer black material accentuating her chest and curves. Regina might be angry with her, but her girlfriend was human with those base desires just like everyone else.

She plastered on a big smile as the door slowly crept open. This was going to be a piece of cake, Mel thought. All she had to do was butter Regina up with her winning smile and upbeat attitude and the brunette would be putty in her hands. Regina would be staying the night. There was no way her girlfriend would deny her after what she had planned for them.

She sighed happily to herself. Sometimes it was too easy.

The door was fully open and Mel could the head of dark brown hair peeking around the frame. Show time. The blonde stretched her smile even wider, the softness of the gesture lost, being replaced by an expression that was downright terrifying. She rushed forward to meet Regina before she was fully in the apartment. Long pale arms wrapped around the petite frame of her girlfriend.

* * *

Regina was stunned by the embrace she found herself in. Mel hardly ever showed affection like this. She was immediately suspicious, but tried to return the hug nonetheless. Her arms were pinned to her sides by the deceivingly strong arms of the other woman. Instead she awkwardly patted the closest part of Mel that she could reach, her elbow.

Mel was holding her almost painfully tight and Regina sighed in relief when the slightly taller woman pulled back from the embrace. Thin hands rested on her shoulders, but Regina was just glad to be able to breathe again. The smile on Melanie's face was a little unsettling, one that the brunette returned with a small smile of her own. But other than that she was pleasantly surprised by the blonde's good attitude, a rare occurrence. It was both exciting and nerve wracking. How long would this last? She hoped long enough to agree to going to the Museum of Science and make it through the afternoon without a meltdown.

Regina mentally laughed at being worried about a tantrum from a grown woman not two preschoolers. It was comical and had her thinking seriously about their relationship.

"I'm glad you're here." The brunette read her girlfriend's lips, the blonde was clearly making an effort to exaggerate her lip movements in the formation of her words.

"You are?" Regina asked, confused. She was used to getting bitched at for taking to long to get there or whatever Mel was dissatisfied about that day. This was unexpected.

"Of course." Mel told her, sliding an arm around Regina's shoulders, guiding the shorter woman further into the apartment, shutting the door with her foot.

The blonde lead them to the couch and pulled Regina to sit as close to her as possible while still facing each other.

"I have decided to forgive you for last night." Mel said wrapping a tan hand in both of her own and bringing them to rest in her lap.

Regina bristled at Melanie's words and attempted to pull her hand away, but the blonde's grip held steady.

"I didn't do anything wrong." The brunette stated firmly. She was allowed to have friends and hang out with said friends without her girlfriend's permission.

"Oh Regina," Mel stroked Regina's cheek with the back of her hand, the gesture anything but loving. Regina could see the condescension in the woman's words and facial expression. "You did honey. But I'm over it. Let's move on."

Irritation was beginning to rise in the brunette, but she shoved it back down. She didn't want to ruin the day before it even had a chance to begin.

"Okay."

"Good." The blonde bounced in her seat once, her stiff smile widening again, flirting with the line of becoming creepy. "I was thinking we could go shopping or something, we haven't done anything like that in a while. Then eat at that cute little cafe you love so much."

As tempting as that was, Mel never wanted to anything together, Regina wasn't in the mood to get dragged around the mall for hours and the eat at the cafe Mel liked, not her. Nope, Regina was going to the museum with Jefferson, Henry, and Grace.

"Actually, Jefferson is in town and invited us to go to the Museum of Sceince with him and the kids. I said we would go."

"Why would you do that?" Mel asked her smile never wavering, but her grip on Regina's hand tightening ever so slightly. This was not going as planned.

"I haven't seen Henry and Grace since August and I think it will be fun."

"But I wanted spend time together. Just the two of us. Alone." Mel pouted.

"We can do that whenever we want. My brother is only here for the weekend. Who knows when I'll find the time to see him again." Regina wasn't going to back down from this. She was done bending over backwards.

"Maybe it wouldn't be so hard if you were't spending so much time with your friends." The blonde dropped her girlfriend's hand put air quotes around the word friends, venom dripping from her words and actions.

Anger boiled over in Regina and this time she wasn't going to shove it down.

"Are you serious? I told you, you had nothing to worry about. Emma is my friend. I went skating. Why are you making a big deal out of it? You just said you wanted to move on." Regina was on her feet now, pacing front of the other woman.

"I lied." Mel said crossing her arms defiantly across her chest.

Regina wanted to put her hands on Mel and knock some sense into the impossible woman. She should have known the blonde's "happy" attitude was only a means to an end. The end being Regina, on her back. The second she didn't get what she wanted, Mel went into meltdown mode. Typical, the brunette scoffed.

"Are you cheating on me? Is that why you don't want to spend time with me anymore?" Once again the blonde was pouting.

All Regina could do was distance herself from her girlfriend, afraid she would actually swing at her.

"Are you insane!" The brunette was yelling now. "I love you! I have no idea why. But I do. I would never hurt you like that."

Melanie shrunk a little at the honesty spewing out of her girlfriend's mouth, but she shot back what she thought would be the final blow, Regina would never be able to walk away after the blow was delivered. She never has.

"If you love me so much, prove it. Stay with me." Mel tried to reach out and take Regina's hand, but the brunette snatched it away and started backing toward the door.

"You know what. It was a mistake coming here." She ran a hand through her long, dark locks, trying to reign in her feelings. "Maybe we should just take a step back. This," she indicated the both of them, "clearly isn't working anymore."

"You're breaking up with me?" Mel asked, appalled that Regina had the audacity to suggest such a thing. That was never going to happen, she would make sure of it. And they both knew it.

Regina shook her head, beyond frustrated at this point. All she wanted to do was get out of the apartment. She could take a drive to clear her head and grab something to eat before meeting her brother at the museum.

"No." She did not have a death wish, her mother would be furious. "I'm saying we just need some time apart."

"Why? So you can fuck Emma." Mel snapped at her.

The brunette's jaw hit the floor. Melanie had lost her mind. How many times did she have to say it? Regina wasn't eve going to dignify that one with a response. She was done with this conversation.

"_Goodbye. Text me when you get a clue." _

And with that Regina was out of the apartment with the slamming of the door.

* * *

GO REGINA! You guys don't understand the joy I had in writing this chapter. (I also fixed the car problem too) I am on a roll. I have the next three chapters planned out and I know how this is going to end. Go me (I gotta stop with the narcissism).

There was more to this, but I decided that that was an effective place to stop. Would you agree?

So, Jefferson made his first (sort of) appearance. How are we liking it? Those gosh darn kids could not wait their turn and they will be showing up in the next chapter. Prepare for ultimate fluff. You have been warned.

Don't think that's the end of Mel either. She will return with a vengeance, but Regina will be ready for her. Cora is coming back soon too. Just an FYI.

That's all I have to say. Please oh please leave me a review. I want to know what you think.

Peace out :)


	15. Chapter 15

Here it is, Chapter 15. I just want to apologize, I know I promised for this to be up way sooner.

I had it all planned out, down to the t, and was ready to write as soon as I posted chapter 14. Until a couple reviewers (BrenShorter and FaBbEr0oZ) got the idea of Emma being in Boston too stuck in my head. It took a day to work everything out but I had a good idea and ran with it. Thanks for the idea guys :) This chapter would have been really short without it.

I'm also gonna play the sick card, because I felt like crap Saturday through Monday and couldn't eve think straight. Trust me you did not want me writing in that state.

Thanks a million for the reviews. They always bring a smile to my face so keep them coming. And to the people who follow and favorite, I see you.

This chapter is the longest on yet.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

That's about it, on with the show...

* * *

Chapter 15

Emma sighed as she stopped her car just shy of the stone archway that lead to the narrow road that weaved through the acres of green. It had taken her over two hours to get to Boston and through all the traffic, but now that she had reached her destination she was hesitant to continue. After another couple minutes she started her Bug back up and drove through the archway into the cemetery.

The blonde steered the car along the winding road the cut through the patches of green grass. She tried not to let her eyes dwell on the rows of headstones, focusing instead on driving to the very back of the cemetery where her parents had been laid to rest. Emma let out another sigh as she drew closer and closer to the plot her parents were buried in.

Emma hadn't visited her parents in over a year. She usually made the trip on the anniversary of their deaths, when the pain of the loss threatened to overwhelm her and she just needed to be close to them. Over the years, she's gotten better at dealing with the loss, but after talking to Regina about the brunette's own family and her conversation with Mary Margaret that morning, she couldn't shake the need to see them.

When she and Mary Margaret had returned from breakfast, Emma had made up the excuse of having to work before bolting from the room as fast as she could. She knew that if her best friend had caught one glance at her face, the brunette would have known Emma was lying. The blonde hated lying, especially to the people she cared about, but no matter how much her friend tried she just wouldn't understand. This was something Emma needed to do, and she needed to do it alone.

She parked the Bug beside the last expanse of green and took a deep breath before removing the keys from the ignition. The blonde grabbed the flowers she'd purchased and exited the car. She stepped onto the dew covered grass of the plot. Crisp leaves of varying colors were scattered across the expanse of green. The headstones in this part of the graveyard weren't as extravagant as the statues and big mausoleums as other parts of the graveyard, they were simple in design, less imposing. It was a shame, Emma mused, that even in death people felt the need to boast their riches. Did it even matter?

Emma made her way through the rows of headstones and grave markers, coming to a stop between two rectangular markers in the far corner of the plot. They were equal in size and identical in design. Simple. Something that suited the young couple they represented. Both were light grey with each of her parents' names and birthday and date of death, a swan engraved in the background. Emma always cringed at how close together the dates were on the stones. Neither one of her parents had made it to their thirtieth birthday, a tragedy in of itself.

The right one belonged to her mother. Snow Marie Swan was engraved into the grey stone. Emma chuckled lightly to herself upon reading her mother's name. Her mother had told her the story a million times, she had been born during the largest blizzard Boston had seen in decades and her mother's parents had named her for the snow falling outside. Equal parts beautiful and powerful. Emma could still remember being five years old and so excited to tell her whole class that her Momma was a real life Disney princess.

Her father's was slightly to the left. James David Swan was engraved into the surface. Prince Charming in the flesh. If her mother was Snow White, then her Daddy just had to be him, in her five year old mind. Her kindergarten friends had been so jealous.

Emma could feel the tears prick at the back of her eyes as she gazed upon what was left of her parents, a lump forming in her throat. She bent over to put the flowers in the holder settled between the stones.

"Hi Momma. Hi Daddy." She greeted, her voice wavering slightly as she sat cross-legged in the still damp grass. She plucked at a few blades of grass absentmindedly.

"It's been awhile since I've visited." Emma continued. "Sorry about that."

There was a long pause, the blonde staring blankly at her hands that were still moving to twist through the blade of grass. A tear slid down her cheek. She didn't bother to wipe it away.

"I've been doing pretty good lately." She said looking back at the gravemarkers, her tone lightening. "Mary Margaret and I are still living together. We have a bigger room this year, thank God. Did you know she and Ruby are together now? They are so cute together. It sickens me."

The blonde laughed, her mind wandering to how mushy the two brunettes were when they were together.

"They're happy and I'm happy for them." There was another pause in which heat rose up Emma's neck, leaving a blush of red on her creamy cheeks, as she contemplated her next statement.

"I, uh, I met somebody. Her name is Regina. She's one of the coolest people I have ever met." Emma laughed at the memory of how she first met Regina. "I literally knocked her off her feet. We went skating last night. It was so much fun. I don't think I've had that much fun in forever. She just brings it out in me."

The blonde couldn't help the huge grin that broke out on her face just thinking about Regina. She wanted to believe that wherever her parents were they could see how happy she was. She took a deep breath as more tears made their way down her cheeks despite the smile on her face.

Emma had accepted the fact that her parents were gone, after countless hours of therapy, long ago. But it just wasn't fair, she thought angrily, ripping up the fistful of grass in her clenched fist and tossing it aside. Anger started boiling inside of her as hot tears splashed into her lap. She hardly ever let her anger take over, always finding a different way to cope with her grief, but this time she gave into the feelings.

Why did it have to be her parents? James and Snow Swan had been good, honest people. They couldn't have been the only car on the road that night. Why did the driver of the other have to get behind the wheel under the influence. Why?

The memories the blonde had of that night were foggy at best. She remembered a knock on the door and being confused. Momma and Daddy had a key didn't they? Her babysitter had opened the door to find two police officers on the other side. The thing that stuck with Emma had been the look one of the officers had given her when he noticed her lingering in the foyer. She hadn't understood it at the time, only coming to realize what it was years later. It was a look of the deepest sympathy. The only thing they'd told her that her parents weren't coming back and that the officers would take her somewhere safe.

That was the first time she learned that everybody lies.

It was years before she knew exactly what had happened to her parents, she'd stolen her case file, complete with the police report from that night. Apparently they had stopped at an intersection and when her father, who had been driving, went to proceed through the intersection other car hit the passenger side head on. The car rolled off the road and flipped twice before stopping. Her mother died on impact and her father was critically injured. Her father died a few hours later in surgery.

Emma's anger intensified. Why hadn't the doctors done more to help them? Logically she knew nothing could have been done for her mother, but she didn't care. Her rage was blinding now. How dare they not work harder to save her father. At least she would have had one parent instead of being completely alone.

If one thing had gone differently that night Emma's life would have had an entirely different outcome. She wouldn't have been forced to grow up without the gentle nurturing of a mother and the protective guiding of a father. No. She'd been forced into a life of uncertainty, bouncing from home to home, never knowing when the social worker would be back to take her somewhere else.

"I miss you guys so much." The sentence came out in a strangled sob, Emma pressing her face into her hands. The anger inside the blonde drifted away only to be replaced by the sadness that had brought her to the cemetery in the first place.

Emma sat there, sobbing into her hands, for what seemed like hours. She needed to let all this out, knowing it wasn't healthy to keep it all bottled up. By the time she had calmed down to just the occasional sniffle almost an hour had passed.

The blonde looked back at the stones that marked her parents' resting place. She felt lighter than she had when she'd first sat in the now dry grass. The heaviness that had been weighing her down lifted. This feeling always followed a visit to her parent.

"I'm gonna get going." She said, getting to her feet. "But I'll visit again soon."

With that Emma kissed her fingers and bent to press them to each of the gravemarkers before turning to walk to her car.

Once in the vehicle the blonde took another moment to collect herself, letting the calm feeling envelop her further. She turned the keys in the ignition and shifted into drive, accelerating out of the cemetery.

Emma passed under the stone archway again and found that the traffic was still horrendous. Pulling onto the street at the first chance she had, Emma found herself at a complete stop. What the hell was going on in Boston today?

With nothing better to do, she pulled her phone from her pocket and sent text to the one person who never failed to put her in a good mood.

* * *

Regina stormed out of the elevator as soon as the metal doors opened. She made it to her Mustang in no time and by the time she was in the drivers seat, car humming beneath her, the brunette was doubled over in laughter. She held onto her side, unable to properly breath for several minutes.

That was amazing. Regina had never really stood up to Mel and stormed out before. She felt like she could do anything, adrenaline still coursing through her veins. Why had she never done that before?

The reality came crashing back down around her.

She knew why she had never done it before. Her mother had a firm hold on those strings she loved to pull so much. What would Cora do when she found out what she had said; what she had done? And she would find out. A brief memory of hand meeting her back flashed through her mind, causing an involuntary shudder to run down her spine.

Cora was never one to shy away from corporal punishment. Children had to learn after all and Regina had been on the receiving end of those lessons more times than she liked to remember. Her mother always made sure not to leave any visible marks, only slipping up once, resulting in the scar on Regina's upper lip.

A hand lightly brushed over the scarred flesh while the other reached for the door handle. Regina hated that she would have to go back, especially after how awesome she felt after storming out of her girlfriend's apartment.

The vibrating of her cellphone stopped her.

She looked at the sender and immediately retracted her hand from the door. The message was from Emma.

**Just wanted to say hi. So, hi :)**

Regina couldn't help the light giggle that escaped her at the message. The blonde was just too adorable.

**Hi :) How is your day going? **

It took a couple minutes for Emma to reply.

**Pretty good. What about yours? **

**It's great. I feel amazing. **

**That's good. I wish I could say the same. **

Regina quirked an eyebrow at that, curious.

**What do you mean?**

**I am bored out of my mind. Traffic in Boston really sucks today. **

The brunette chuckled a little at that. Didn't she know it. Wait a minute. Emma was in Boston?

**You're in Boston?**

**Yep. Had a few errands to run. Why?**

No flipping way. Fate, or whatever force was behind she and Emma being in Boston at the same time, was a tricky little bastard. What were the odds?

**I'm in Boston too. **

**No way. Do you wanna grab lunch or something? **

Yes, yes, and yes, Regina thought to herself. Maybe Emma would want to tag along to the Museum of Science. After all, the blonde was just a big kid she would probably love the place.

She didn't respond to Emma right away, instead she sent a message to her brother.

**Mel isn't coming. Long story. Do you care if I bring a friend instead?**

**It's not Kathryn? Are they nice at least?**

Jefferson's reply was almost instant. She had the feeling he was too excited that her girlfriend wouldn't be joining them for the afternoon.

**No. Kat is back at school. Emma is the best :) I promise. **

**Okay. I don't mind. Will you be joining me and the children for lunch?**

**Give me a minute. **

Regina typed up her message to the blonde. She crossed her fingers and hoped Emma would agree.

**Actually, I was going to have lunch with my brother and Henry and Grace. Would you like to come with us? We're planning on going to the Museum of Science afterwards.**

**I won't be intruding, will I?**

Regina almost squealed, but Emma hadn't exactly said yes yet.

**Of course not. Is that a yes?**

**Absolutely :) Where should I meet you?**

**Give me one minute to find out. **

**I'll be right here :)**

The olive toned woman flipped back to her conversation with Jefferson. All this hopping from one person to the other was making her dizzy. But if it resulted in Regina getting to spend the day with her brother, niece, and nephew as well as Emma, then it would be totally worth it.

**We're in. Where are we eating?**

**McDonald's. There's one not far from the museum. **

**We'll meet you there :)**

**See you there. **

Regina finally sent an answer to Emma.

**There's a McDonald's near the Museum of Science. Do you think you can find it?**

**I know exactly where it is. See ya soon :)**

**You too :)**

Regina put her phone away and backed out of the parking spot, all thoughts of going back up to Mel long gone. She'd just deal with whatever her mother had to say later. There was no way she was going back inside.

Steering the silver convertible out of the underground parking deck, Regina prepared herself for the inevitable traffic jam.

* * *

Emma sat in her car drumming her hands on the steering wheel, waiting for Regina. She'd been sitting in her car, in the McDonald's parking lot for ten minutes. When she'd pulled up to the restaurant green eyes had scanned the diners inside not finding the sunkissed skin and long brown hair. She figured Regina's brother was already inside, but wanted to wait for Regina. She knew she had been invited, but still felt like she was intruding on the family outing.

Five more minutes passed and Regina still wasn't there. A thought struck Emma. She had no idea what kind of car the brunette drove. With that in mind the blonde sat up in her seat, paying better attention to the people pulling into the parking lot.

Another few minutes. Still no sign of Regina. What was taking her so long?

Just as her mind started to wander over the list of possibilities of what could be keeping the other woman, the ground literally started shaking. The upbeat, electronic sound of Believe by Cher cut through the otherwise quiet parking lot. Green eyes found the source of the rhythmic pounding. A sleek, silver Mustang was preparing to turn.

Emma snorted as the car entered the lot, the song shaking the ground didn't fit with the badass convertible at all. She watches as the Mustang effortlessly zips into the empty spot next to her and her jaw hit the ground when the driver stepped out.

It was Regina.

The woman knew how to make an entrance, Emma would give her that.

The blonde hurried to open the door, struggling to grab the handle in her haste to get out of the Bug. She rushed around the back of her yellow car, that looked like a pile of rust next to the pristine hot rod, stopping on the passenger side of Regina's car.

Emma waited for the brunette to turn around, her brown eyes covered by purple sunglasses, before waving.

Regina smiled, seeing Emma and returned the wave eagerly. In seconds she was in front of Emma she pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head, meeting shimmering emerald pools properly.

"_Hi." _she greets.

"_Hey." _Emma replies shyly. She tried to hide the blush that crept up her neck at the smile Regina was giving her. Instead she studied the car beside them.

Regina watched as Emma's eyes roved over her Mustang. She studied the pale face she'd come to know so well. The blonde wore a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, while the green orbs were missing that spark Regina was used to seeing. Her overall demeanor was missing that goofy light that seemed to follow her around. Now that she really looked, the pale skin of Emma's nose was red and her eyes were puffy. Had Emma been crying?

She looked so, defeated.

The brunette placed a hand on Emma's elbow causing green eyes to meet brown.

"_Are you okay?" _The concern was clear in those big chocolatey eyes that Emma had to force tears, that had been lingering just below the surface all day, from falling. She just gave her a reassuring smile and nodded her head.

"_I'm fine."_

Regina tilted her head at the blonde's words, the blonde's smile was no where close to reaching her eyes. Without thinking twice about it, Regina surged forward and wrapped the taller woman in a tight embrace. Sunkissed hands flattened against the blonde's back, while Emma's chin rested on her shoulder. It takes a couple moments, the other woman no doubt shocked by the surprise hug, but eventually Emma relaxed into the embrace, letting her own arms wrap around Regina's lower back.

They stayed like that for a few more moments, enjoying the closeness of the woman in their arms. Regina might have been the one to initiate the contact, but she was getting just as much comfort from the hug that she had hoped to be giving Emma. It was unexpected but not unpleasant. Unconsciously, she held the other woman closer.

Emma was the first to back out of the olive toned arms, albeit reluctantly. Regina couldn't help but notice how bright her cheeks were burning and the way green eyes seemed to look everywhere except her. It was adorable, the brunette thought with a smirk.

"_What was that for?" _Pale hands easily worked through the signs, not fingerspelling a single one. Regina was so proud.

The brunette shrugged, giving Emma her most brilliant smile. _"You looked like you needed it." _

The tanned hands moved at the speed she used when she talked to Kathryn, just to see if Emma could keep up. To her delighted surprise, she could. Regina still couldn't understand how she had been lucky enough to have met Emma.

"_Thank you." _Emma told her with a sincere smile, a big toothy one that Regina was happy to see lit up the sparkling emerald orbs. _"I guess I did need it."_

"_I'm glad I could help."_

The two just stood there, smiling at each other, in no hurry to break the moment they were having. But Regina remembered what they were at the restaurant for. Her brother and the kidders were waiting for them.

"_Come on, let's go inside."_

Regina took hold of Emma's hand and pulled her in the direction of the entrance. She had no idea where all the touchy feely-ness was coming from, the brunette was only ever like this with Kathryn. Anytime she tried it with Mel she was brushed off. But she was enjoying it, it wasn't uncomfortable or awkward, and Emma didn't seem to mind, so she would just let her instincts guide her actions.

Emma trailed behind the brunette, hands still linked loosely, with a huge smile on her face. She wondered what had gotten into her friend. This was the most unguarded she had seen Regina since meeting her and Emma loved it. The easy grin, the sparkle in those big brown eyes, and that hug. If Regina hadn't been holding onto her the blonde was sure she would have been on the ground. She hadn't realized how small Regina was until she had her in her arms, she was willing to bet Regina was smaller than Mary Margaret, and she smelled amazing. Like apples. Emma had felt safe in the other woman's arms, like nothing could ever hurt her again.

That scared the shit out of her. Trust was not something that came easily to the blonde. But with Regina, it was different. And it was terrifying.

Emma watched the brunette pull the door open and rushed to hold it open for her. But Regina didn't enter. She was looking at her with a sheepish look on her face, wringing her hands together.

Emma eyed her warily.

"_What's wrong?"_

"_I should warn you." _Regina signed slowly and paused. She looked up into green eyes that urged her to continue. _"My brother can be a little…" _She trailed off not really sure how to describe her brother.

"_A little...what?"_

Brown eyes shifted between the second doors leading into the fast food establishment and the now cautious face of Emma.

"_You'll see." _She signed cryptically, darting into the restaurant without another word.

Emma just stood there for a second, eyes wide, jaw hanging open.

What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

Jefferson was sitting at one of the tables in the Play Zone, facing the main entrance. Henry and Grace were having a ball on the indoor playset. He checked his watch, noting that it had been over thirty minutes since he had last texted his sister. How bad was traffic?

The door to burst open suddenly and none other than his baby sister darted into building. He watched from his seat as a few heads turned to see what all the commotion was about. A blush rose on olive cheeks and Jefferson couldn't help but snicker to himself. Subtlety was not one of Regina's strong suits.

He watched curiously as his sister waited by the door, a blonde girl joining her seconds later. Jefferson saw the grin on Regina's face grow as the woman, he could only assume was her friend Emma, fell into step beside her. The look on Emma's face was just as happy as the look on his sister's.

Interesting.

Jefferson could hardly remember a time in the last couple of years when Regina was genuinely happy. This was going to be an interesting afternoon indeed.

The man stood from his seat, seeing Regina's eyes scanning through the diners, looking for him no doubt. He waved a hand hoping she would see him.

Brown eyes widened when they settled on him and Jefferson couldn't help the smile on his face as his sister grabbed ahold of her friend and hurried through the door separating the play area from the rest of the restaurant. He saw a blur of brunette hair before he had an armful of Regina. The blue eyed man immediately reciprocated the hug, squeezing his little sister extra tight, placing a kiss on the side of her head. Oh how he missed her. Despite the ten year age gap, the two had been as thick as thieves growing up. Regina had always looked up to Jefferson and Jefferson was Regina's most fierce protector. They had a close bond that couldn't be matched.

"_Hey there, Sissy." _Jefferson greeted when Regina ended the bear hug, earning himself a firm punch in the arm.

"_Don't call me that." _Regina told him seriously, a smile on her face.

"_I will." _The older sibling replied with a smirk.

Regina just spit her tongue out at her brother. It was so easy to fall into their old childhood habits. She turned her head to see Emma still lingering in the doorway. The blonde looked awkward standing there, not really knowing what to with herself, her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, rocking back and forth on her feet. Regina motioned her over and grabbed her hand when she was close enough.

Emma smiled at the brunette, relaxing somewhat under her reassuring touch. Regina returned the smile before turning back to face her brother.

"_Jefferson this is Emma, Emma this is Jefferson." _

Green eyes sized up the man in front of her, he was about her height, maybe an inch or two taller. His short, dark brown hair was slicked back in the front and he wore a crooked grin. The hair color was the only similarity she could pick out between brother and sister. Jefferson's skin was pale and his eyes light, where Regina's was olive toned and deep brown. She shrugged at that. Siblings didn't have to look alike.

She took the hand being offered to her and shook it firmly.

"It's nice to meet you." Emma told the man politely.

"Likewise."

Jefferson watched the blonde woman as she backed up to stand slightly behind Regina. Obviously out of her comfort zone, his sister being the only familiar entity at the moment. Emma looked nice enough and if Regina was willing to subject her to an afternoon with him and his tiny terrors, then they must be close. Which was strange, Regina didn't really make friends. Kathryn was the only constant friend he knew of. That meant this friendship was relatively new. Again, interesting. He would have to talk to his sister to get all the details later.

"_Where are the little rascals?" _Regina asked, buzzing with excitement.

Jefferson looked around the playset and spotted his son and daughter at the top of the tube slide and pointed him out to Regina.

"_It looks like they're about to head down the slide." _

Emma watched the brunette hurry over to the bottom of the slide. She crouched down and waited for her niece and nephew to make an appearance. Emma saw Henry get a running start and hop into the big red tube of the slide. As soon as his feet came into view at the bottom, Regina scooped him up. A surprised squeak echoed around the room as Regina held him close and blew raspberries on his chubby little belly.

Emma smiled fondly at the adorable scene.

"Aunt Regina! I missed you." The little boy hollered excitedly. He wrapped his arms tightly around her neck and planted a big sloppy kiss on her cheek. Regina beamed at her nephew. "Gracie guess who's here!"

A little blonde head popped up above the entrance of the slide. Grace's eyes grew comically wide as they found her aunt with her brother in her arms. The toddler wasted no time jumping into the slide, Emma could hear her kicking her feet against the plastic, forcing herself to get to the bottom faster.

"Aunt Gina!" She threw her short arms around the woman's leg and buried her face in a jean clad thigh.

Regina shifted Henry to her hip before bending down to lift the tiny girl into her free arm. She blew a raspberry on Grace's cheek and the two year old mimicked the action on Regina's cheek in her own sloppy fashion. Both children clung to their aunt while the woman placed a loving kiss on each of their foreheads.

"That's so sweet." Emma sighed, taking in the three, the love they had for each other palpable, even from across the room.

"Yeah." Jefferson agreed, his cell phone in his hand snapping pictures, immortalizing the moment.

The blonde jumped, not realizing she had spoken outloud, but didn't move from her spot beside the man. The awkwardness she'd felt when they'd first arrived had disappeared and the pair watched in comfortable silence as Regina set the kids back on the ground and started a game of tag. A smile was plastered on both pale faces.

* * *

Jefferson excused himself to order the food, insisting that he pay for Regina and Emma's meals as well, leaving the blonde to watch her friend and the tiny tots run around. It was amusing to watch Regina half heartedly run from them and then act surprised when they caught her. The blonde remained on the sideline near the table and observed, not wanting to interrupt the family moment.

Regina looked over to Emma from her spot beside the play set, where she was playing tic-tac-toe with Henry, Grace in her lap, the kids worn out from all the running. The other woman was standing there, looking as she had when they had entered the play area. She lifted the toddler out of her lap and placed her on the ground beside her brother. The brunette told them she'd be right back and approached her friend.

"_Do you want to come and play?" _

Emma shook her head and backed away toward the table. "I don't want to intrude, you guys are having so much fun."

Regina tilted her head to the side and eyed the blonde. She could tell by the look in those green eyes that Emma wanted to join them, but she was holding back for some reason. She was being very shy, it wasn't the Emma she was used to.

She'd just have to drag it out of her.

"_That's true, but it would be twice as fun if you did more than watch." _Regina took hold of the blonde's wrist and began to pull her toward where her niece and nephew were waiting. _"I promise they don't bite. Most of the time." _She joked, signing with one hand. Emma seemed to relax a little at her attempt at humor.

"Who are you?" Henry asked as Emma sat down next to Regina.

"_Henry." _Regina admonished lightly. _"Be nice." _

"It's okay." The blonde said placing a hand on Regina's arm. She was very familiar with the bluntness of youngsters.

"I'm Emma. What's your name?"

The little boy eyed her critically for a moment. He was too cute, Emma thought. Apparently, he decided she could be trusted.

"I'm Henry. I'm four." He held up four pudgy, little fingers to emphasize his point. Emma had to giggle at his adorableness.

"Wow! You're a big boy, aren't you?" She said enthusiastically.

Henry nodded emphatically and puffed out his chest. "Yep! Do you wanna play with me Emma?"

"Of course!" And that was all it took, the two started turning the X's and O's, giggling intermittently, like best friends.

Grace, who had been silently been sucking her thumb from Regina's lap, watched the two having fun, she wanted to play too. The little girl crawled out of her aunt's lap and toddled over to Emma and tapped the blonde's shoulder.

Green eyes focused on the little person at her shoulder and smiled at the child. She was just as adorable as her brother.

"_I Grace. I play?" _Little hands formed the signs expertly and Emma looked to Regina, raising a questioning eyebrow.

The brunette simply pointed to her own ear and gestured toward her niece. The blonde looked and saw a pink hearing aid in each ear. Grace was hearing impaired. Emma smiled and signed back to the toddler.

"_Hi. I'm Emma. Do you want to play too?"_

Grace nodded, her blonde ringlets bouncing around.

Emma opened her arms and Grace wasted no time in plopping down in the blonde's empty lap. Emma smiled down at the little girl and helped her rotate the pieces to beat Henry.

Regina watched the scene in front of her with a huge grin. Her niece and nephew were not shy kids at all and seemed to have taken to Emma with ease and Emma was back to her goofy self as she interacted with the kids. It was cute. Regina could watch forever.

A hand on her shoulder broke her concentration and she looked up to see Jefferson nodding his head toward their table.

"_Food's ready." _

Regina nodded her head and got up off the ground. She didn't want to interrupt the game of tic-tac-toe, but they still had the whole day for sweet moments like the one she was witnessing.

* * *

Lunch passed with ease. The kids were too concentrated on their Happy Meals and the toys that came with them to make much of a fuss about not playing anymore. The adults shared small talk. Emma understood what Regina had started to tell her before they had joined the brunette's brother. He was kind of strange. He talked in circles that didn't make a lot of sense, but Emma found that she really liked him. He was funny, like Regina, and when the two siblings had started telling her embarrassing stories about the other she was sure pop was going to shoot out of her nose. The two constantly tried to one up the other with their story, each more humorous and embarrassing than the last.

It was one of the most enjoyable meals she'd ever had and wanted to have another soon.

Once the kids, notorious slow eaters, were finished they left McDonald's and headed for the museum, Emma following Regina's Mustang, Regina following Jefferson's Tahoe. They made it in minutes and were soon in line for admission.

The line was pretty long and Emma took the time to take in the impressive building.

Regina poked her arm and smiled when she had the blonde's attention.

"_Have you ever been here before?"_

"_Once, when I was a little kid." _Emma told her.

She could remember it well. It had been her third foster home since her parents died and no matter how much she begged neither one of her foster parents would sign her permission form. Eventually Emma had asked one of the older kids in the home to forge the signature. It was safe to say the Keller's had not been happy when she didn't get home until late in the evening, her teacher bringing her home because they never showed up to pick her up after the field trip. They'd sent her back not even a week later. That was the last field trip Emma ever went on.

"_I love it here. There's so much to do." _

"_Me too." _The blonde agreed.

The line slowly inched forward until they were able to purchase their tickets. When they were inside, Jefferson and Regina made a plan on which exhibits they would be able to see and which ones would keep Henry and Grace occupied. Emma stood to the side as they looked over the pamphlet, the kids clinging to each of her hands, contentedly swinging them back and forth. Personally, the blonde would have just let little ones loose and let them explore on their own, follow their lead. But according to Jefferson that would only result in Henry spending the entire time in the dinosaur exhibit and Grace touching anything she could get her hands on, whether it was appropriate to or not.

With a game plan in place, the five set off. Their first stop was to the dinosaurs. Henry was wide eyed as soon as he saw the first dino. He let go of Emma's hand and ran to Regina to tug her from display to display, jabbering on excitedly the whole time. Grace wasn't as impressed with dino's as her brother. In fact, Emma noticed the toddler was fearful of the gigantic models. The blonde lifted the girl into her arms.

"Do you want your Papa?" Emma asked her, a chubby hand clinging to the fabric of her shirt as they passed particularly close to a display.

Grace shook her head and hid her face in her neck. Emma looked behind her to see Jefferson nodding at her encouragingly. She gave him a small smile before moving through the exhibit trying to keep up with Regina and Henry.

Their next stop was the butterfly garden. Grace's face lit up as soon as she saw all little winged creatures flying around. She wiggled to be put down and Emma placed her back on the ground.

"Look Emma!" The little blonde pointed all over the room that was bursting with butterflies and exotic plant life. Emma was captivated by the exhibit as well.

Grace pulled her around the room, taking in everything. The little girl giggled and stood stock still as a butterfly landed right on her nose. Henry stood at his sister's side, staring in wonder as the creature flapped its wings lazily on Grace's face. It was the cutest thing Emma had ever seen. The blonde woman heard the shutter of camera's and turned to see Regina and Jefferson snapping pictures with their phones. The butterfly flew away eventually left the two year old's face and the two kids giggled again before grabbing Emma and pulling her willingly further into the exhibit.

* * *

Jefferson and Regina trailed behind Emma and the kids, watching as they pointed out each pretty flower or fluttering insect, chatting and giggling along the way. Regina watched the easy smile on Emma's face and the carefree way she interacted with her niece and nephew.

Emma really was amazing.

Jefferson looked over at his sister. If her smile was any wider he was sure Regina's would actually crack. It was nice to see her happy for once and to have met someone that made her happy. All through lunch he had noticed the looks the two had been giving each other, the way they seemed to unconsciously lean toward each other as they sat side by side. The lingering touches and the way they seemed to genuinely care for one another was intriguing to watch.

"_Grace and Henry seem to really like your friend." _He commented casually.

"_Yeah." _Regina responded, watching the blonde and the kids chase a butterfly down the path.

"_You do too." _

That got the brunette's attention. Regina whipped her head to the side, wide eyed, just staring at her brother. Jefferson almost laughed at her shell shocked expression, but refrained from doing so. He didn't think Regina would appreciate it at the moment.

"_Excuse me?" _Regina asked once she got over her shock.

"_I see the way you look at her. You like her, Reg." _

A blush covered olive cheeks and brown eyes studied the ground. Jefferson took the little victory as it was. Regina hadn't denied it.

"_Emma is my friend." _She told him the same thing she had to tell herself hoping he would believe her. _"Besides, I have Melanie." _

Jefferson's jaw hardened at the mention of that damn woman. When would Regina wake up and dump that horrible bitch.

"_You don't have to have Melanie." _He tried to reason with her. _"She's horrible. You would be better off without her."_

"_Mel and I may have our issues, but I love her and she loves me." _Regina knew she was lying, but what else could she do, Mel wasn't going anywhere unless Cora said so.

"_No you don't. Why do you put up with her?" _

The brunette looked down at her hands, not meeting her brother's gaze as she answered.

"_Mother thinks we're a good match." _

The older sibling scoffed and caught his sister's eye. _"Mom is insane. You need to find someone you actually like and treats you with the respect you deserve." _Like Emma, he added in his head. He had been downright shocked when he saw how well the blonde could sign. And she had learned it all for Regina.

The two had a connection. Regina just needed to wake up and see it.

"_I know." _

Regina had been getting the same lecture from Kathryn for weeks now, but getting it from her own brother really made her think. She actually took the words to heart. She did deserve to be happy and be with someone who respected her. So what if her mother didn't approve? It wasn't like she approved of anything else Regina did. What was one more thing? Sure it would hurt for a while, but Regina would just have to get over it. But could she handle her mother turning her back on her completely? The answer was no.

This was a lot to think about.

She looked ahead of them again and found Emma lifting Henry off the ground, they boy flapping his arms like wings. The blonde returned him to the ground only to repeat the process with Grace.

The sight brought an instant smile to her face.

Sighing, she addressed Jefferson again.

"_Even if I left Mel, I'm sure she just wants to be friends."_

"_I'm sure you'd be wrong."_

* * *

Aren't they adorable. I loved writing this :)

Tell me what you think. Jefferson feels the love now he just needs to hop in the bandwagon with MM and Kathryn.

What are we thinking about Emma's parents? Good, bad, so so?

Did anyone catch the Cher song in there? I freaking love her and my grandma is taking me to see her in concert next weekend I can't wait (as a graduation present)! Just wanted to put that out there.

I will try to have something up by the weekend but I have three softball games in a row these next couple of days. I'll see if I'm up for writing.

As always, let me know what you think. I live off of reviews.

(P.S. I just want to say I was thoroughly pissed at the conclusion of Sunday's episode. I turned my back for half a second only to look back and see THAT on my television screen. What the actual fuck?)


	16. Chapter 16

Haha, bet you thought this was going to take another week. Nope, here it is, Chapter 16.

I had a softball game get cancelled on Friday so I had buckets of time to finish this. This was really easy to write too. I put on my Perry the platypus pj pants, turned on my Heart station on Pandora and got in the zone. Okay maybe not all the way in the zone. If that were true I wouldn't be writing this at four in the morning. It seems like every time I actually have time to write I can't focus long enough to finish at a decent hour and when I don't even have my laptop handy the ideas just flow non stop. It's crazy. But that's beside the point.

Thank you for all the lovely reviews and follows :) They make my day. Favorites do too. Just saying.

Well that's all folks, on with the show...

* * *

Chapter 16

Emma pushed open the door front doors of the English building, a shiver running down her spine in the late October air. The temperature in Maine had dropped dramatically in the weeks since her little trip to Boston. Gone were the days of tank tops and flip flops. It would be leather jackets and knee high boots for the blonde until the weather broke, probably around mid-April. Emma even noticed there were a few students in winter coats. It wasn't cold enough to break out the thick coats yet, but who was she to judge.

She just pulled her red leather jacket closer around her and walked down the steps of the building. She walked down the sidewalk in the direction of her dorm, trying to think of something to do. Emma had two hours before her next class and was at a loss of what to do to with her free time. Studying didn't seem like a very attractive option at the moment. Of course it was the responsible thing to do, but Emma wasn't feeling very responsible at the moment. Reading wasn't a very appealing idea either. She didn't have anything new to read. The blonde couldn't go bother any of her friends, Mary Margaret, Ruby, and David all had class.

Pulling out her phone, Emma wondered what Regina was doing. She'd just have to find out. She sent the brunette a quick text, crossing her fingers hoping that she wasn't in a class.

**What are you doing right this very second?**

It took a few minutes but finally Regina answered.

**What?**

**Are you busy? **

**No. My noon class was cancelled. I'm painting right now. **

**Would you mind if I joined you? **

**Not at all. Are you bringing lunch? **

**I can :) **

**I'm in the art building. Second floor. Studio five. **

**Be there in ten minutes. **

**I'll be waiting. **

Emma replaced her phone in her pocket and fist pumped, taking off at a dead sprint in the direction of the closest eatery. Boredom officially cured. She and Regina hadn't crossed paths since their trip to the museum, much to Emma's disappointment. They texted almost every day, all day, but it wasn't the same as seeing each other in person and Emma was found herself thinking about the brunette more often than not. Now the opportunity to hang out with Regina presented itself and she wasn't passing it up.

* * *

It took Emma almost fifteen minutes to get through the line at the large cafeteria and find the art building. Apparently the entire student body had decided to eat in that one spot at the same damn time. Regardless, Emma was panting as she jogged up the stairs of the building Regina had said she was in. She walked down the hall that was lined with replicas of famous paintings and sculptures, looking for number five.

The studio was pretty easy to find, a big black five adorned the wooden door that was slightly ajar. Emma could her the soft melody of classical music on the other side of the door as she looked through the thin opening of the door, trying to catch a glimpse of Regina in her element.

Green eyes were rewarded with the sight of Regina, her back to Emma, standing in front of an enormous canvas. Emma couldn't make out what the painting was supposed to be of, it was mostly big sectioned off shapes that were mostly empty. Regina herself was in grey coveralls that were stained with paint, both long dry and newly acquired. The sleeves of the brunette's coveralls were rolled up to the elbows, paint splattered along olive forearms, her hands covered to the wrist. Emma giggled when she noticed Regina had the legs of the coveralls rolled up over her ankles and she was standing barefoot on the clear tarp on the floor. Was that a tattoo on her ankle? She let her gaze wander further up the brunette, the long, dark locks thrown carelessly into a ponytail that was flecked with paint.

Done being a creeper for the time being, Emma pulled the door open all the way and stepped fully into the room, letting the door close behind her.

Regina felt the motion of the door slam and looked up to see Emma standing by the door, a paper bag in her hands.

"Hi." The brunette greeted happily. "Give me one second to finish this part." She shifted the palette in her hand and dabbed more red paint onto the brush in her right hand, bringing it back to the canvas.

After spreading the red paint around more, Regina took a step back and surveyed her work. The painting was coming along beautifully. When she'd shown her professor what she had painted so far and explained what the end result was going to be, he had been over the moon. It was exactly what he wanted from her and wanted the piece displayed at the gallery the school hosted, just before the end of the semester. Of course it put a deadline on her work, but Regina could work with it.

Satisfied with her stopping point, the brunette put down the palette and dropped the brush into the bowl of water to the side. To her surprise, Emma was still standing by the door, her mouth hanging open, a shocked look on her face. Confused, Regina lifted an eyebrow at the other woman.

"_What?" _

"You talked to me. Like you actually spoke." The blonde said, recovering from her shock at hearing Regina's voice. She'd only heard it once, briefly, when they first met. Regina's voice was deep and feminine, a little louder than necessary. A few of the words were a bit garbled, a heavy slur in her accented speech. But Emma thought it was perfect.

It was Regina's turn to be shocked. But then again she wasn't. She felt comfortable with Emma and knew she wouldn't be judged with the other woman. So when both hands were full, it only made sense to talk, she'd do the same with Kathryn or Jefferson. Had she and Emma gotten that close?

"_I guess I did." _Regina shrugged her shoulders and moved across the room to the sink in the corner to wash the paint covering both her hands.

Emma walked over to the little table along one of the walls, and set the bag with their lunch inside down on the paint splattered table. She pulled two stools from where they were pushed aside with a few easels and sat down to wait for her friend to join her. She watched the brunette turn from the sink, paper towel in hand, drying her now paint free hands. A chuckle escaped her lips, that didn't go unnoticed by Regina.

"_What's so funny?" _She asked, brown eyes narrowing, hands on thin hips.

"_You got a little…" _Emma trailed off tapping her own cheek.

Regina brought a hand up to her face and sure enough she felt the smudge of dried paint adorning her cheek. Heat rose to her cheeks as she turned back to the sink and wet a paper towel to remove the residue from her face. When she was sure she had no more paint on her face or neck she walked to where Emma was waiting.

"_Better?" _Regina asked, gesturing to her face.

"_Paint free." _Emma answered with a grin.

"_Good." _The brunette smiled back. "_What's for lunch?" _She asked looking to the bag between them, only now realizing how hungry she was.

"Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Perfect for a chilly afternoon."

The blonde started pulling items out of the bag. She took out the cups of soup and placed one in front of the other woman along with a spoon and small pack of saltine crackers. She added an aluminum foil wrapped sandwich to the meal, finishing it all off with a bottle of Dr. Pepper from her book bag. She'd noticed it was what Regina had ordered to drink at Tony's and hoped she wouldn't mind the assumption as she placed a bottle of chocolate milk with her own food.

"_Looks yummy." _Regina commented, her mouth watering from the delicious aroma assaulting her senses. She wasted no time in popping the lid off the soup and digging in.

The two ate in silence for, enjoying each other's presence and the good food. Regina looked over to see the blonde dipping a piece of her grilled cheese into the soup, the tomato and cracker goop coating the white, cheesy bread. She watched as Emma brought it to her mouth, a satisfied escaping her lips as the concoction hit her tongue.

An olive finger tapped the her shoulder and green eyes turned to look at her.

"_Is that good?" _She asked genuinely curious.

"Oh yeah, it's the best." Emma answered around her mouthful of food, nodding vigorously. "You should try it."

Regina wrinkled her nose at the other woman's table manners, but didn't comment. She picked up her half eaten sandwich and dipped it daintily into her cup of soup. Slowly she brought the dripping sandwich triangle to her mouth and hesitantly took a bite. She chewed the gooey goodness, savoring the flavor. A smile spread across her face as she swallowed the deliciousness and eagerly dunked the rest of the grilled cheese into the soup, taking a bigger bite this time.

Emma chuckled at the other woman's enthusiastic actions.

"I told you it was good. You never tried it before?" The blonde asked. Grilled cheese and tomato was like a thing, wasn't it?

The brunette shook her head and continued to devour her delectable discovery.

"Really? Not even as a little kid?" Emma asked disbelievingly. She grew up on the tasty meal. Mostly because it was relatively cheap and easy to make for foster parents and group homes.

Regina shook her head again and placed the last bit of grilled cheese covered in soup into her mouth, her ponytail swinging to and fro.

"_My mother would have never served something like this." _Regina knew her mother turned her nose up at anything that was below her standard. And Cora would never let anything as pedestrian as grilled cheese and tomato soup get anywhere near her children.

"Well that sucks. You were missing out."

Brown eyes shifted to her hands. "I know." She said not meet her friend's eyes. Emma's statement held more truth than the blonde knew. She'd lived an extremely sheltered life before she'd moved out of her parents' house. Her mother never let Regina of her sight and the second she'd gotten her first taste of freedom when she was sent to public school she ran with it.

Emma noticed the look on her face and placed a pale hand over olive ones and gave Regina a warm smile when brown eyes met green.

"_What are you working on?" _She asked, hoping that steering the conversation to something she knew Regina loved would cheer her up.

Thankful for the change of subject, the brunette hopped up from her stool and pulled Emma with her to stand on the tarp in front of her canvas.

"_It's my project for the gallery at the end of the semester. It's supposed to be personal, the inner me. I think I captured it. I just have to finish it."_

The blonde tilted her head at the partially finished painting. She couldn't really figure out what it was supposed to be. There were different colored hand prints surrounding a big shape in the middle. The hand prints, in seemingly random places, were color coded in sections with different shades of one color in each section over a solid background of that color. The sections weren't finished, but Emma could see a pattern. The big shape in the middle wasn't finished either and she still had no clue what it was supposed to be.

She looked over to see the pride shining on Regina's face and grinned at her friend. She might not be able to see the finished project, but it was clear her friend could and it was something she was proud of.

"_I looks like a promising start." _The blonde told her, not knowing what else she could say.

Regina narrowed her eyes at the blonde and smirked.

"_You have no idea what it is, do you?" _

Emma shook her head and gave the brunette a guilty grimace. Regina laughed at the look on her face and smiled warmly at the other woman.

"_I figured. You'll just have to wait until I'm finished then." _The brunette snapped her fingers together, a thought striking her suddenly. "_I have something for you."_

"You do?" She asked surprised, but the petite woman already had her back to her.

Regina padded across the tiled floor to her bags and shuffled through the large black art portfolio case. Finally selecting what she wanted, she pulled the piece she wanted and hurried back over to Emma.

The blonde looked down to find an image of herself sleeping on the quad from the day she met Regina. She laughed at how ridiculous she looked. She couldn't believe she thought that that was a good idea. She also couldn't believe the amount of detail Regina was able to capture.

Green eyes flicked back up to meet brown, an impressed look on her pale features.

"This is amazing, Regina."

"_Thank you. I that from the original sketch and made it bigger, so you can see all the details and then added color."_

"This is really awesome. Can I keep it?" Emma asked hopefully. Mary Margaret and Ruby would get a real kick out of it.

"_Of course." _Regina smiled and watched the blonde walk over to her bag and put the picture with her belongings. The brunette was glad she liked it. It had taken some time to finish it but the smile on Emma's face made it worth it.

Emma was back at her side in no time.

"_Do you want to help me?"_

The blonde put her hands in the pockets of her skinny jeans and shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, but I'm not very good at this art stuff."

"_Don't worry about it, I only need your hand print." _Regina told her with a giggle.

"My hand print?" Emma muttered to herself, confusion written all over her face.

Regina moved to the supplies she has set up in the corner of the tarp. She grabbed all the small canisters she had of different shades of green paint. She set them down in front of the blonde, who was watching her every move the same confused expression adorning her face. She smirked to herself and pulled a couple big paintbrushes out of her messenger bag along with a can opener and apron. She tossed the can opener and brushes down next to the cans of paint and held the apron out to Emma.

"Wear this. It'll protect your clothes. This can get a little messy." She joked as Emma accepted the apron.

Her eyes grew wide when the blonde started unbuttoning her flannel shirt. She averted her gaze as the Emma let the material fall from her shoulders, leaving her in a white tank top. Regina let her eyes wander over the toned form of the other woman while Emma had her back turned. She gulped as she watched the muscles play under the pale skin of her arms and back as the blonde tied the strings of the apron around her waist.

Emma could feel eyes watching her every move. Enjoying the show, are we Regina? She smirked deviously as she made a show of pulling her hair up into a messy bun before turning back around to face the brunette. A bright red blush made it's way up Regina's neck all the way up to the tips of her ears, and the blonde almost giggled at the deer in headlights look on her friend's face.

"_Should I take off my shoes, too? Or is that your thing?" _Emma joked.

Regina looked down at her bare feet and wiggled her toes that had stray drops of paint on them and shrugged, meeting the blonde's eyes again.

"_If you want. I didn't want to ruin my shoes. And I like to feel the music." _

Emma looked to where Regina had a stereo resting on the floor, the soft classical music still filling the room. Wondering if she would actually be able to feel the music, Emma pulled her boots off, followed by her socks, mismatched of course and stood barefoot next to the brunette. She waited a moment and there it was, the slight movement under the pads of her feet.

She looked up at Regina, green eyes shining in wonder at the new sensation. Regina only smiled at her and set to work opening the paint cans for Emma.

"_So what do you want me to do?" _Emma asked once Regina had all six colors open.

"Give me your hand." The brunette requested holding out her left hand for Emma's, a paint brush in her right.

Emma placed her hand in Regina's and watched as the brunette dipped the brush into a light shade of green and ran the brush over the length of the blonde's hand leaving a trail of paint in it's wake. She repeated the process until Emma's hand was completely covered. The blonde was squirming as Regina ran the brush over her palm and fingers. The bristles spreading the cool paint on her hand was sending delightful tingles all over her body and an involuntary shiver ran up her spine. If Regina noticed the movement she didn't comment, something Emma was thankful for.

The brunette put the paintbrush in the can of paint and grasped Emma's wrist as she pulled the taller woman closer to the canvas. She held the blonde's hand up to the part of the painting that was solid green and pressed her hand into the center of the section. The brunette pulled their hands back, leaving Emma's green handprint on the canvas.

"It pretty simple." Regina explained, dropping Emma's hand. "Try to use each color a few times and you can paint your hand every time, or just dip it into the can. Whatever you feel like. Kathryn just dipped her hand in the cans."

Regina pointed to the blue and yellow portions, where the hand prints were slightly smudged and runny, but didn't disturb the overall flow and neatness of the painting.

"I painted my hand every time. It takes longer, but it's just as effective." She pointed the red and purple sections.

Emma nodded her head and dipped her hand into a different shade of green and planted it near her first.

Regina shook her head and picked up the palette and brush she'd discarded earlier, ready to resume her work.

"I see you and Kathryn have something in common." The brunette said with a smirk, facing the blonde.

"_Really? What's that?"_ Emma asked, genuinely curious about Regina's best friend, who she's never met.

"You're both lazy. Taking the easy route." Regina said with a laugh.

"Hey!" The blonde said poking the shorted woman in the ribs with her paint covered hand, pouting in feigned offense. "_You're the one who said I could pick."_

"True." Regina relented. "I appreciate your help."

"_Why do you need my help anyways, not that I mind. But shouldn't a personal art project be done by yourself?" _

The brunette thought that one over for a moment. Emma had a good point, but she didn't understand the premise of the painting yet. When she did she'd know why she'd asked for her and Kathryn's hand prints. For now she just needed Emma to put her damn hand prints on the canvas.

"You ask a lot of questions. Just paint." Regina commanded, leaving the blonde no room to argue as she turned back to her own part of the canvas.

"Bossy." Emma grumbled to herself. She picked up a clean paint brush and spread yet another shade of green over the dried paint Regina had painted on her earlier. She pointedly slapped her hand to the surface and stared at the other woman as she did so. Regina just rolled her eyes and did her best to ignore Emma and her antics, secretly finding them endearing.

The two worked like that for the next hour, until Emma had to leave for her next class. Regina was disappointed to see her friend leave, she'd been enjoying the blonde's company, but knew she had to go. They were at school after all.

"This was fun." Emma said tossing the paper towel she'd dried her hands with into the trash can. She'd put her flannel and boots back on, but was dragging her feet, not ready to leave just yet.

"_Well you're not done, you still have to finish the orange." _Regina told her seriously.

"_You tell me when and I'm here." _

"_Good." _

The blonde pulled her bookbag over her shoulder and picked up the drawing Regina had gifted her. She cracked a smile at seeing herself in such a silly position. Seriously, what was she thinking?

"Thanks for this, by the way."

Regina giggled at the silly drawing. "_No thank you for being such a comical subject. My professor got a real kick out of it." _

"You showed people?" Emma asked, her green eyes widening, her voice raising an octave.

The brunette nodded with a sly smirk. "_It was too funny to keep to myself." _

"Fine. I guess you're right." The blonde conceded with a huff. "I should get going." She said, making no move to actually leave the room.

"_Yeah, I have to clean up in here." _

Neither moved from their spots, standing opposite each other. They just stood there looking at the other.

"What are you doing for Halloween?" Emma asked suddenly. It really wasn't that out of the blue. The holiday was in a week and she had been pissed to find out she would have to work the bar that night. It wasn't like she couldn't still enjoy the huge party The Rabbit Hole threw every year, she just didn't want to have to serve customers in the midst of having fun with her friends.

It took a moment for Regina to answer, the brunette caught off guard by the seemingly random question.

"_Kathryn and I are going to Jefferson's to help take the kids trick or treating, in the evening, When we get back we'll probably find a party or something." _Regina said. It's what they did every year. "_Do you want to come trick or treating. I'm sure Jefferson wouldn't mind. Henry and Grace would love to see you again." _She suggested excitedly.

Emma frowned, she would have loved to take the little rascals trick or treating with Regina. The preschoolers had really grown on her, Emma had always had a soft spot for little kids. Now she was even more pissed that she had to work.

"I have to work. Setting up for Halloween always takes forever. You and Kathryn should go to The Rabbit Hole when you get back from your brother's."

"_I think we will."_

"Cool." Emma smiled and looked at the clock on the wall. She was going to be cutting it real close if she didn't leave soon. "I really have to go." She told the other woman with an apologetic expression.

"Go."Regina made a shooing motion and pushed the blonde toward the door. "Learn something."

"I will." Emma spun on her heel and smirked at the brunette before finally leaving the room.

Regina just stood where she was for a couple moments, grinning like a fool. Emma never failed to bring a smile to her face. She turned to go back to her painting when the door opened again and the blonde came rushing back into the studio. Regina rolled her eyes affectionately, a smirk on her lips.

"_Did you forget something?" _She asked teasingly.

"Yes."

Emma hesitated for a beat before stepping into Regina's personal space and wrapping an arm around the petite woman's shoulders and held her close. She sighed as she felt Regina's arms snake around her lower back, hugging her just as tight.

The blonde had been wanting to do that since Regina's first surprise hug in the Mickey D's parking lot. She was not disappointed. Emma squeezed the shorter woman tightly one more time before stepping back, already missing the contact.

"Goodbye. For real this time." She laughed as she backed out of the room and took off down the hall again. She was going to be late for sure now. Totally worth it, she thought as she burst through the front doors of the building.

Regina was still standing in the spot Emma had left her, feet glued to the floor. She collected herself after a whole minute of just standing there with a big goofy grin on her face. She was sure if someone had walked in and seen her in that state they'd wonder if she'd lost her mind, but she didn't care.

What am I going to do with that woman, she thought. She started collecting her supplies, smile still firmly in place. Nothing could dampen the mood Emma had left her in.

As she deposited the soiled brushes and palette into the sink, her phone vibrated from the pocket of her coveralls. She pulled the device out to find a message from her father. Her smile only grew as she opened the text, until she read what it said.

**Hi sweetheart. Your mother would like you to video conference her as soon as you have the chance. **

Good feelings gone.

* * *

This was so easy to write. I love them together. I know how much you guys like seeing them together, so I gave them a fluffy little chapter of adorableness. (And it sets up Halloween. Bonus.)

What do we think? They like each other :) It's so cute.

DUN DUN DUN. What does Cora want? We shall soon find out.

That's all I got for ya. Tell me what you think and make my day :)

Until next time.

(Like I said fixing this at four in the morning isn't a smart idea. If there is anything that makes no sense. My bad. Just let me know and I will fix it promptly.)


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